Those Lost Precious Memories
by DreamsFromADistance
Summary: Regina had a child with Daniel, but never got the chance at raising her before Cora took her and her memories of Avery away so Regina could be queen. Now, years later, Avery searches for her mother and the woman she knows will be her happy ending, having seen Emma's face in a vision, but she is stuck in the Enchanted Forest. That is, until Emma and Snow arrive. SQ, set at end of S1
1. The Fragile Nature of Love

_**A/N:** So I have been working with this idea for a while now. I wanted to write a story where Regina had a child with Daniel, but wasn't sure how and when to fit this idea into the course of the seasons. I have thought through many different storylines, and now I have a definitive storyline for this one. _

_This story begins in season 1, a little before 1x18 (this is the episode about Regina and Daniel's love story), and will continue until mid-season 2. Regina and Emma have been together at this point, and I will explore how this came about. Much of what has happened in the show at the beginning did happen. Canon divergence with the fact that Regina and Emma are together, Kathryn never went missing, and Regina didn't try to frame Mary Margaret for murder. This story will alter between the past and present as I develop the backstory of Regina and Daniel's daughter and how she meets Regina and Emma in the present._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own OUAT, its characters, or its storylines. I only own Avery, whose character you'll find out more about later :)_

 _SwanQueen. Regina had a child with Daniel, but never got the chance at raising her before Cora took both her and her memories of Avery away so Regina could be queen. Now, years later, Avery searches for her mother and_ _the woman she knows will be her happy ending, having seen Emma's face in a vision, but she is stuck in the Enchanted Forest. That is, until Emma and Snow arrive after the curse has broken._

* * *

 _~Those Lost Precious Memories~_

 _Chapter One: The Fragile Nature of Love_

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Many Years Ago_

Regina came to a stop at the side of the stables' doors and let out a breath. She had slipped away from the castle that evening as soon as she knew she was safe from her mother's prying eyes. She didn't always like sneaking out during the nighttime to see Daniel, but tonight was different. She had important news to tell him. And now that she knew for certain, she could no longer wait to inform him of it.

She was both excited and nervous. What she was about to tell Daniel that night would change everything between them. But it was something they had both discussed and desired in their future together. Something that would truly bring them both great happiness.

She exhaled again and gave herself a confident nod. She slowly stepped inside the stables. Daniel turned around at her entrance and joyfully said her name.

"Regina."

"Daniel."

She strode over to him and immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned up to him, and they shared a kiss.

"Thank you for coming tonight."

"Of course, Regina. I always look forward to spending time with you."

Their lips met once more, and she could feel a warmth travel through her, of the love they had for each other burn passionately inside her. Daniel's words echoed in her head in that moment, of how true love was the most powerful magic of all. Now more than ever she believed in that message, and she couldn't be any more grateful that she had found someone so special as Daniel who she could spend the rest of her life with.

"There was something you wanted to tell me?" he asked with a sweet smile as he backed away from her.

"Yes." Regina nodded a few times out of nervousness and then repeated herself. "Yes, there is."

"Judging by the smile on your face, I take it to be good news?"

Her smile widened, and she rocked slightly on her heels. "Yes." She entwined her fingers around his, and she gazed up into his eyes. "Remember how we talked about wanting a family together someday?"

Daniel nodded.

She gave his hands a gentle squeeze. "Well… We're going to have that." She beamed as his eyes brightened with happiness. "I'm pregnant, Daniel."

"I'm… I'm going to be a father?"

"And I a mother."

He brought a hand up to her face and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He softly caressed her cheek. "We're going to have a family."

"Yes, dear."

He pulled her close and lifted her up as they began to kiss. She threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. He spun her in a circle a few times, and they were soon laughing happily, grinning from ear to ear in this blissful moment. She felt like she was living one of the fairytales she had read about as a little girl, and she wouldn't trade anything for the magical feeling.

Regina came back to her feet, and she leaned her forehead against Daniel's. She followed his gaze downward, took his hands in hers, and placed them on her belly. That warmth she felt earlier as they kissed came back to her at the touch.

"I love you so much, Regina."

"I love you, too, Daniel."

She would never forget this night. Or so she thought.

* * *

 _Storybrooke, Maine ~ Present_

Regina found herself wandering to the stables that afternoon. She needed to get away, be somewhere no one would find her. Particularly, she wanted to avoid a certain someone who had quite the skill for tracking people down. She didn't want to hear what she had to say.

She knew what the blonde was going to say to her. She'd been making attempts all week to confess those three words. But she didn't want to hear them verbalized. She didn't want to hear that someone else wanted her. Loved her as much as Daniel had years ago.

So she kept busy constantly and made excuses not to see her. She knew her time was running out and that it would happen soon enough. She thought the words would come a week ago, when _that_ happened between them. She still couldn't believe she'd let it go that far. She should have told her to leave that night. That she didn't feel the same about her as she did with her. But she would be lying to herself if she had, and she just couldn't lie to her. She made her feel whole again, feel the happiness that had been robbed from her when Daniel had died. How could she walk away from that? All she ever wanted was to feel that happiness again.

This was the same day she had told Daniel that she was pregnant. Which should have impacted her the moment Emma walked through the doors of the stables to tell her she loved her. But she had no recollection of the day, no memories of how overjoyed she had felt when she found out and told Daniel the news. There was no trace of anything left. Just as Daniel had been torn from existence, those memories of being pregnant and becoming a mother were taken from her.

If only she knew what a special day this had been.

"Regina?"

She didn't turn around to look at her. She folded her arms across her chest and asked a little too harshly, "What are you doing here, Miss Swan?"

"You've been avoiding me the last few days. And Miss Swan? Really, Regina? After everything that's happened between us?"

She ignored the blonde's questions and settled for her own pressing question. "How did you find me?"

She heard her take a few steps closer to her. "Well, you know I have a knack for finding people." She paused and kicked the ground with her boot. "Usually. This time I needed help from Henry. He told me you come here when you don't want to be found."

Regina wasn't sure how he'd discovered her hiding place, but if he was able to figure out about the curse, then she shouldn't have been too shocked. And if she had to take a bet, he most likely knew about her relationship with Emma. Why else would he have told Emma to come look for her here? She turned around now. "He knows about us, doesn't he?"

"The kid's intuitive enough, Regina. He told me today he's known for a while." She laughed. "When I picked him up from school he said, 'You know, you don't have to pretend anymore. I know you two like each other. That's why she's avoiding you. She's scared to tell you the truth about how she feels about you.'"

"Really?"

Emma nodded.

"Well, he would be partially right about that."

"Partially?"

Regina looked into her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in those green depths for several moments. And she imagined herself telling Emma how she felt about her, how she had changed her life in such a beautiful way, how she brought her to believe in the possibility of true love again… Of whispering those three words in her ear and kissing her with such passion as she'd done the night she'd spent with her a week ago… But deep down she knew she couldn't. No. It wasn't fair to Emma. Not after everything she'd done to her that she sadly had no idea was a reality.

She started to tear up.

"Regina…"

The blonde came to her side and was about to bring her hand to her cheek, but Regina took a few steps backward and shook her head fiercely. Emma looked at her with concern.

"What's the matter, Regina? Is everything…?"

"No. Nothing's okay, Emma. Because I know why you're here. I know exactly what you're going to say and I don't want to hear it. Because you can't, Emma. You can't love me."

"Regina, don't do this to yourself. I know you're scared. And trust me, a week ago, I would have said the same thing to you. I would have kept those walls up and shut out any possibility of love. Because love doesn't come easy for me, and I know you have experienced the same. We've been hurt terribly, and it's hard to open up again because that pain never really goes away. But that night we spent together, things changed. I knew that our relationship was different. I knew how deeply you felt for me. I haven't had that with someone in a _long_ time. And I know it just feels right."

Regina couldn't take it anymore. She knew the blonde was only moments away from saying those words, and she couldn't let her do it. She shook her head again, tears rolling down her face at the heartbreak. "No, Emma. You don't deserve me."

"How can you even say that?"

"Because, Emma! You don't deserve me after everything I've done to you."

"I forgive you for the things you did my first few weeks here. You've made it up to me since then."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Emma's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"I'm the reason why your life has sucked. Why you never had family. And I don't think I can ever make it up to you, or your son, or anyone in this damn town. You don't understand it all yet, but trust me when I say this. You don't deserve me. No one does."

"I don't believe that."

Regina gazed sadly at her. "Of course you don't. Because you have no idea who I am and what I was once capable of."

Emma tilted her head to the side, but there was a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Well, since we're being so honest with each other today, I suppose it's time for me to tell you the truth. The whole truth."

"I'm listening."

Regina glanced down at her hands, and then tentatively held out them to Emma. The blonde entwined her fingers around hers immediately and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. Regina nodded behind her. "Let's go take a seat. We're going to be here for a while."

* * *

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Present_

She placed a flower next to his grave and then sat down in front of it. She had come to visit earlier than normal, but she knew the prophesized day was soon approaching, and she wanted to say her last words to him before she ventured off to bring about the happy ending to the one person she had tried so desperately to help back into the light years ago.

If only she'd known the truth before it was too late. Maybe she would have accepted that love and happiness could come to her again.

"Hello, Father. I've come with great news tonight."

The curse was about to be broken. She had counted down the years since its enactment, and the twenty eight year mark had passed. She could feel something inside her, just like she felt when she saw _her_ and how happy she was going to be in the future with her family. She hadn't lost hope in her magic before, and she wasn't going to lose hope in it now. It was only a matter of time before the curse would be broken.

"The curse is about to be broken. I just know it. And that means she'll be one step closer to being happy again. I'm not sure how, but I haven't given up hope, Father. That woman must be somewhere in the Land Without Magic, and so must the boy. If I can find a way to her, I can help her find her happy ending."

She smiled to herself as the faces of the woman and the boy flashed in her mind.

"I'll let you know when I've gotten there. When I find her again. And maybe in bringing her that happy ending, I can somehow return her memories of me to her. I've read about memory spells, and I know they're not lost forever. I just have to find where my grandmother kept them. I've searched the lands for them here, and I can't seem to find any object that embodied them. If they had been in the castle unknowingly, they may have been swept up with the curse. And they could be there, right within her reach." Her voice became quiet as she thought about what it would mean to have those memories intact. "And then, I'd have my mother back. I'd have family, too."

She really missed her mother. The last time she'd seen her was the night she'd enacted the curse. She had tried to stop her, convince her that making Snow White miserable wasn't her happy ending. At that time, she had no idea her relation to the queen. She had simply wanted to help the woman because she was destined to. She would never forget the sadness and hopelessness in her expression when she first met her as a child. She had been wandering the forest, lost in a world that had been chosen for her. It was the same reason she had run from her adoptive parents that day. That connection always stuck with her, and when she foresaw what fate had in store for her, she knew she had to help her. That connection became even more heartfelt when she discovered that Regina was her mother.

She knew of the destruction her mother had caused. She also understood what pushed her over the edge, the past full of pain that had built up into rage and vengeance over the years. She'd spoken to many in the years of and before the curse and knew much about her mother's history in the Enchanted Forest. Her life hadn't been easy. And while it was hard to overlook much of the evil she had caused, she had forgiven her. Because the woman she had met all those years ago was a kind and gentle and loving person. The darkness had slowly taken hold on her and pulled her away from the person she once was. But she knew she could bring her back. She could help her remember who she used to be. Everyone deserved a second chance.

"I love you, Father. I'm so glad Mother met you. I know you made her really happy. And while I never got to meet you, I know we would have all been happy together. I suppose one day we'll see each other again." She blew a kiss and then placed her hand on the tombstone. "Until then, I'll be looking out for her. Just as I know you are from above." She stood up and stared down at the letters engraved in the stone.

 _Daniel Colter._

 _My beloved stable boy. The man I was lucky to call my true love._

The words made her tear up every time she read them. Her mother loved him so much.

"Goodbye, Father."

She turned away and got back on her horse. Before taking off, she glanced one last time at the grave and nodded. She then trod away to meet back up with the friend she'd made the journey with. She couldn't stop the tears from coming as she went. She was never really one to handle goodbyes well.

"You okay, Avery?" her friend asked as she came to a halt in front of her.

"Yeah. I just always get a little emotion at having to leave."

"He'll always be with you, Avery." She pointed to her chest. "Right in your heart."

"I know. But it doesn't make it any easier saying goodbye when you never got to say hello in the first place."

She held out her hand to her, and Avery took it.

"Need a moment?"

"Yes. Thank you, Mulan."

"Don't mention it. Take the time you need."

Avery glanced over her shoulder and spotted the grave in the distance. She closed her eyes for a moment and raised her free hand to her chest, imagining his presence with her.

 _I love you, Father. I promise to find Mother. I will find her. She will be happy again._

She opened her eyes and turned back to Mulan. "I'm ready."

"Okay." Mulan let go of her hand. "Let's head back to camp."

* * *

 _Should I continue? Leave a review and let me know what you think!_


	2. I Believe in You

**_A/N:_** _I am overwhelmed by the response to this story! Thank you so much to all of those who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story!_

 _There was something I wanted to clarify from the first chapter in regards to ages. I'll mention it as I go forward with future chapters, but I figured I'd say something about it now so that it was clear. Regina is eighteen when she finds out she is pregnant with Avery. In the present, Avery is eighteen. That would make Regina thirty six and Emma we know is twenty eight. I'm honestly not sure how old Regina was the day the curse happened, but I believe Regina was eighteen when she first met Snow and tried to run away with Daniel in 1x18._

* * *

 _Chapter Two: I Believe in You_

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Many Years Ago_

One minute Regina was standing in front of the mirror, braiding her hair, and in the next, she was staggering to the ground, overcome by a strong wave of nausea.

She took a deep breath.

 _Don't… Don't lose it now._

She was struggling with these random bouts of sickness brought on by her pregnancy, the most difficult part with hiding it from her parents. She knew she couldn't avoid the subject much longer, but she needed just a little more time before she confessed the secret she had been keeping. She wanted to do it right, have Daniel there with her when she revealed the news.

She placed her head down on the cool tile, but it didn't help any. Her cheeks were on fire and the room felt like it was spinning around her. She knew this time it wasn't going to pass.

She quickly moved herself towards her dresser and reached a hand up to grab the empty vase sitting upon it. As soon as she laid the object in front of her, she threw up.

She gave herself a few seconds to recover before slowly raising her head and then resting it against the side of the dresser.

 _Steady breaths, Regina. Steady breaths._

She closed her eyes and waited. The nausea was beginning to subside, and she stayed as still as possible, afraid that even the slightest movement may set it off again. She dared to open her eyes minutes later, and she let out a sigh of relief.

 _It's over._

She held on to the dresser for support as she pulled herself up to her feet. She waited a minute before making another movement and eased up at feeling better.

 _I'm okay. That was it. I'll be fine now._

She took a confident step forward, but she didn't have much time to continue with her stride. She froze the instant she heard a sudden knock on her bedroom door.

 _No!_

"Regina? May I come in?"

It was her father.

"Um, just a minute, Daddy!"

She hurried to pick up the vase, but the quick motion of bending down and standing back up threw her equilibrium off, and she could feel herself grow dizzy once more. She let out a shaky breath.

 _Please… Not now…_

But to no avail, she couldn't fight it off this time either. The nausea arrived faster and stronger than it had previously, and she came to her knees. She gripped the sides of the vase tightly and hung her head miserably over it as she got sick.

"Regina? Are you okay?"

She choked out her reply as yet another bout of nausea threatened to shake her. "No…"

Henry didn't hesitate and entered the room at her pained cry. She heard him close the door behind him, to give her privacy from anyone else wandering in the castle, no doubt. Her father knew she wouldn't want everyone to fuss about her being under the weather, and she respected that he always looked out for her. It was unlike her mother, whose way of looking out for her was by making decisions for her. Her father, on the other hand, understood her because he took the time to listen to her.

Henry knelt beside her, pulled back her hair, and began to rub her back. She tried to mumble a "thank you" to him, but the words got lost in her throat as she threw up. She crossed her arms over the top of the vase and rested her head on top of them. The unsettling queasiness was in no hurry to go away this time around, and she knew she was going to be here for a while.

She was normally able to rebound from the nausea rather quickly and move on with her day, but when it did hit her badly, it always seemed to last a long while. Nearly a week ago, she had woken up in the middle of the night feeling just as terrible, and it had taken a good hour for her to fully recoup from it all. As much as she hadn't wanted her father to find out about the pregnancy this way, she was thankful to not be alone this time.

It felt like an eternity before it finally went away and she began to feel like herself again. This had been the worst of it yet. She backed away slightly from the vase, and Henry rubbed her shoulder gently.

"Feeling a little better?"

She gave him a small nod. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I should have told you sooner…"

"There is nothing to be sorry for, my dear. If you have fallen ill, then you should rest until you feel better. Your riding lesson with Daniel can always be rescheduled for another day."

"I'm not ill, Daddy."

"Oh?"

Regina turned to look at him. "I'm pregnant." She bit her lip as the tears started to come. She could read the surprise in her father's expression, and she was afraid of his next words. "I'm sorry…" She looked away and brought her hands up to her face as she cried.

She had gone through this conversation in her head before and prepared herself for the different possible reactions she would receive from both of her parents when she told them the truth. It still hadn't made this moment any easier now, and her mind filled with worry as she dwelled on the negative that could come as their conversation continued.

But no harsh words came. He only spoke with kindness and understanding.

"Regina, sweetheart, look at me."

She turned back to him.

"It's okay. I'm not upset."

She gave him a small smile.

"May I ask how long you've known?"

"A few weeks. But I promise I was going to tell you very soon. I just wanted to be certain first, and then I needed to talk to…" She stopped herself before she said Daniel's name. She became nervous again at revealing another secret to him, especially since this was one she had been keeping for over a year.

"Talk to?"

"I needed to talk to Daniel."

"I see."

"Daniel… We've been together since my seventeenth birthday."

"So a little more than a year?"

Regina nodded.

"And you love him?"

"With all my heart. And he loves me, too. We want to spend the rest of our lives together. And now, we're going to have a child. A family."

Henry smiled at her. "Well, I couldn't be any happier for the two of you. This is wonderful news, Regina. I'm going to be a grandpa!"

She beamed and hugged him. "Thank you, Daddy." It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders with telling her father about Daniel and their child, and to hear him be excited about having a grandchild brought her great joy. However, the joy was short lived when she thought of the last obstacle she had left to surpass. Her mother. She backed away from the hug. "Can you promise me one thing?"

"What's that, dear?"

"Please don't tell Mother yet. I will tell her, but I want to have Daniel there with me when I do."

"Okay."

Her mother's reaction caused her the most anxiety. It was the reason why the negative thoughts clouded her mind as she was spilling the truth to her father. Her mother had a set path for her. All her life, she had heard her mother tell her she was going to be a queen, that a life of royalty was exactly what would bring her happiness. And whenever Regina challenged her on this, mentioned that maybe something else may bring her that happiness, her mother would snap at her and say she didn't understand what would make her happy. That she was too young, too naïve, to understand what could be her happy ending.

She couldn't stop the question from leaving her mouth. She wanted to hear her father's thoughts. "Do you think she will accept us? Daniel and I being together?"

"And why would you think otherwise?"

"She wanted me to be a queen, but… I've never wanted that. I just want a simple life. One where I am happy and have love and a family. And with Daniel, I have all of that. He is my true love." She smiled. "He is my happy ending."

"All we've ever wanted for you is to be happy, Regina. And if that is with Daniel, then your mother and I will not stand in your way."

Regina believed in her father's words.

Her mother was right about one thing, though.

At eighteen, she was too young and too naïve. Because she was stupid enough to believe that her mother wouldn't try to stand in her way.

If only she knew what the future had in store for her.

* * *

 _Storybrooke, Maine ~ Present_

Emma hadn't spoken a word since she finished her story a few minutes ago. She expected the blonde was thinking through every detail she'd told her, trying to wrap her mind around the possibility of a world where fairytales and magic existed and played out like the pages of Henry's storybook. Regina had pointed out there was much more to those written words, even much more than what she had recounted from her own experiences in the last hour. But despite what was there and what was missing, one message was clear.

The Savior could not love the Evil Queen.

They were meant to be enemies. Not even the tiniest of alliances could be made between them. Their life circumstances would always keep them on opposite sides. Even though Regina would give anything to make up for that, she didn't want to cause any more destruction by overstepping the line between hero and villain. She had already caused enough destruction in her life. And besides, she knew where she belonged.

 _I am a villain. And villains don't get happy endings. Especially not someone like me._

"You can leave, if you want. Storm out. Or yell at me. Scream at me and tell me I ruined your life. I won't judge you for any of it."

Emma turned to look at her, surprise in her expression. "Why would I do any of those things?"

"Because it's true. I ruined your life. Simple as that."

"No. You didn't ruin my life. My life is the way it is because of the choices I made. You had nothing to do with that."

"But if it hadn't been for the curse I enacted, you would have never been separated from your parents."

"And if it hadn't been for the curse, I would have never gotten a second chance to see my son. I would have never come to this town, I would have never met you…" Emma took hold of her hand. "I would have never opened up my heart and given love another chance. Because believe me, if I'd stayed in Boston, I would have continued to keep those walls up around my heart. And maybe you would have done the same had you not met me."

Regina replied sadly, "Maybe."

"Look, Regina. What you did, it's in the past. And your past? It doesn't define the person you are now and who you will be in the future. If I hadn't been given the second chances that I had in my life, I wouldn't be where I am today. And you deserve that same chance. I know you want to change. The more I've gotten to know you, the more I've seen that. And I believe in you to change. So please, Regina. Do not give up on yourself. On us. Give yourself the chance to show everyone else that you can change. Give yourself the chance to love again."

 _Why does she do this to me?_

 _Why does she believe so much in me? She has more faith in me than I do in myself._

 _Emma Swan, why do you love me? How can you look past everything I did and still forgive me? Still love me?_

 _Why, dear? Just… Why?_

She searched her mind for words of protest, of some valid argument to make her leave. But there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. She didn't want Emma to leave. She wanted her to be there for her, wrap her arms around her and thank her for how supportive she was of her, to kiss her on the lips, to show her how much she loved her back. But she needed to take it slow. Because as Emma had pointed out, love didn't come easy for her. She didn't know how to love well. And she wanted Emma to be loved well. Because she needed that. After a life full of rejection, she really needed that. And Regina wasn't sure she was the one who could do that for her.

"I can try."

Emma patted the top of her hand. "And that's a start, Regina."

"Yeah." She gave her a small smile. "It is."

Emma nodded. "So now for breaking this curse. How do we do it?"

"Well, when I had first heard of the prophecy back in the Enchanted Forest, I thought that your arrival here would simply do the trick. But clearly, that isn't the case. So to be honest, I'm not sure how to break it. I just know that you have to be the one to do it. But I may have a resource to help point us in the right direction."

Emma considered this for a minute. "Mr. Gold?"

"Rumplestiltskin? Not a chance. If he knew we had even the slightest alliance, he'd use it against us. Remember you still owe him a favor."

"That's right."

"I was thinking of something else. Something we already have in our possession. The one resource that helped Henry figure out about the curse in the first place."

Emma's eyes flashed knowingly. She didn't need any further explanation after that. She knew exactly what resource Regina was referring to.

Henry's storybook.

Regina had briefly glanced at its pages when Emma first arrived in town. She had only been interested in the day the curse swept over the kingdom, to read about Emma's short lived story in the Enchanted Forest. She wondered now what was beyond those pages and what came at the book's end. Could their solution to breaking the curse possible be hidden in the pages?

They knew what they had to do. Emma drove them back to her house, and they hurried inside, intent on searching the storybook for answers. But as soon as they opened the front door, they realized there was one very important matter they had both overlooked.

Regina and Emma froze in the foyer, their faces resembling a kid who had been caught sneaking cookies out of the cookie jar.

Henry was sitting at the bottom of the staircase, grinning up at them. His backpack was next to him, with some of his schoolwork now placed on the floor. It was clear that he hadn't moved spots since Emma dropped him off.

"So, did you two finally admit your feelings for each other?"

Regina looked at Emma, who just smiled sheepishly and blushed in response.

 _I should have known he'd be waiting for us._

* * *

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Present_

Avery took a step back from the fire once it had ignited and then sat down on the ground. She reached into her bag for her book, opened it to the last page she was on, and began to read. She was researching as much as she could about curses and the types of magic that were involved in breaking them. One method was of particular interest to her.

True love's kiss.

It could break any curse.

May this be the way the Savior broke the curse that had all of them frozen in time for twenty eight years?

She stopped reading when she heard Mulan's voice behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw her approaching.

"You know, in the time since I've known you, I don't think I've ever seen you use magic." Mulan sat down next to her. "Yet you read about it every night. Why is that?"

Avery didn't like magic. As someone had told her years ago, all magic came with a price.

"My family, as you know, has quite the unfortunate history with using magic. It corrupted both my mother and grandmother. And I… Well, I ventured down that path once myself."

Mulan looked at her with concern.

"I want to know magic's capabilities, must I ever use it again. But I don't like magic. It hurts people more than it helps. Trust me."

"What happened the last time you used magic?"

Avery shuddered at the memory. "I'm not sure you want to know."

"Oh."

"But I can show you what it did to me." She looked around them and then placed her book on the ground. "What I am about to do, it'll look like it hurts, and well, it does, but it's quick and I'll be okay. Can you promise me that you won't freak out too much?"

"Um… I can try my best."

She ought to prepare her a bit more for this. She remembered from her own experience how terrifying it was to see a heart be ripped from one's chest the first time, and despite watching a close friend take out her own heart, it wasn't going to make the sight any easier for Mulan. "Let's just say this was both my mother and grandmother's favorite way of…" She swallowed hard at the thought. "Getting rid of people."

Mulan nodded in understanding.

Avery looked down at the ground, ashamed of herself that she had even taken the time to learn this terrible craft of dark magic. "I can rip hearts out, too."

Before Mulan could provide her words of comfort, she turned away from her and plunged her hand forward into her chest. The best way to do it was always to be quick with it. And with little thought of what you were doing. The more you thought about the action, the more likely the other person's pain you were causing would sink in and cloud your judgment. If you wanted to kill, then you didn't want to dwell on those thoughts.

Avery hated knowing that. And she especially hated that there was still a rush that came with ripping out a heart, even though it was her own.

She bit her lip as she pulled her heart from her chest, but she couldn't stop the pained cry from escaping. Mulan immediately placed a hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath and then spoke. "I'm okay, Mulan." She turned back to her and gave her a small smile.

Mulan nodded and dropped her hand back in her lap.

"A heart can show us many things. One of those things is darkness." She pointed to her heart. "See that black spot there?" She glanced at Mulan and saw she was looking down at the beating heart in her hand. She could tell she was somewhat transfixed by what she was seeing, especially since she was somehow okay despite having her heart outside of her body. "That's darkness that has tainted my heart. And that can grow, if I fall back into the darkness again."

"And you think that will happen if you use magic again? Like it did with your mother and grandmother?"

"Yes."

Mulan was quiet for a moment. "Avery, not all magic is dark magic."

"I am aware."

"Think of your vision. That was brought on by magic. Magic that is helping you find your mother's happiness."

"I know."

"Then maybe you should give your magic another chance?"

Avery shook her head. "No. I can't. There is too much potential for me to go astray." She made the motion to turn away, but she stopped herself as Mulan's hand touched her own. She glanced downward, seeing her hand over her heart, and then looked up at her, meeting her warm gaze. She instantly felt put at ease, and the painful memories that had been haunting her in that moment faded away. When Mulan pulled her hand away seconds later, she couldn't refrain from frowning slightly.

"Just because magic brought about darkness in your mother and grandmother does not mean you will follow in their footsteps. So maybe you did fall into darkness once. But you turned away from it. And look what you're doing now. You're using your magic for good."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right."

"I have learned many valuable lessons in my years of being a warrior. But one of the most important things I have taken away is that you cannot give upon on yourself. Especially when it seems like everyone else around you continually doubts your ability."

Avery smiled. "Thanks, Mulan."

"I, for one, believe in you. I know your heart will stay true." She faced her with a serious stare. "Try to have a little more faith in yourself when it comes to magic?"

Avery looked down at her heart, her eyes connecting with mark of darkness at the center. She nodded slowly and then started to raise her hand upward towards her chest. She glanced at Mulan before proceeding further.

"You don't have to turn around."

"You sure?"

"I'm not afraid of watching."

"Okay." And with that, she pushed her hand forward, her heart safely inside her chest once more.

Who would have thought that in another world, on that same day, her mother would hear that same message? That someone would tell her not to give up on herself and let her know that she believed in her?

If only Avery knew that someone happened to be the person she was searching for. That she was not only the so called savior destined to break the curse, but her mother's savior who would be her happy ending.

She would learn soon enough.

When Avery left with Mulan that night, she dared to use magic to put out the fire. And for once in many years, she didn't feel frightened by it.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Reviews always make my day :)_


	3. Person of Interest

**_A/N:_** _I was really hoping to get this chapter up last weekend, but life happened and I just didn't have the time to write. This happens to be the longest chapter for this story so far, so I hope the length makes up for the wait._ _On a side note, I know I haven't included Emma's POV in these last three chapters, but I do plan to write from her perspective as well. You'll see more of that in the chapters to come._

* * *

 _Chapter Three: Person of Interest_

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Many Years Ago_

Regina was overjoyed to leave the castle. It had been a week since her father had found out about her pregnancy, and in order to fool her mother, she had pretended to be sick for the last five days. She had written a letter to Daniel the first day explaining her absence from her lessons for the week, and her father had delivered the message to him. He had wanted to talk to Daniel more for her during the week, and he was even willing to deliver letters between the two, but her mother kept hovering around her, making it difficult to even get alone time with her father. He never got the chance to get another message to Daniel.

(If there was one thing Regina learned from that week, it had been putting on an act. Which would be more helpful than she would know in the future…)

Today, her mother was gone from the castle for business and wouldn't be back until the following morning. Regina had insisted before she left that she was almost one hundred percent, and that give it one more day, she should be fully recovered from her so called sickness. But Regina had no plans to stay in bed all day. She needed to get out of the castle, and she really wanted to see Daniel. Her father knew this as well. He was able to catch Daniel in the early morning and tell him Regina would be able to spend the day with him.

Her father stopped to talk to her before she left the castle. She was really grateful for all that he had done for her in the last few days.

"Have a good day with Daniel, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Daddy. For all of this."

He nodded to her.

With that, she headed to the stables and took off with her beloved steed, Rocinante, to meet Daniel at their favorite place. It was in a meadow, halfway to Firefly Hill where they would go every so often to watch the sunset. They would meet at the tree on the far southern hill and then ride their horses together through the meadow. The best part of it all was that she never had to worry when she was there. She was free from the castle, free from her mother, free from a life she couldn't call her own…

She was free to be herself.

Regina slowed as she came near to the tree. She smiled when she saw Daniel turn away from his own horse and look up at her. She tugged gently on the reins and Rocinante came to a stop. She got off her horse and then greeted Daniel with a hug.

"Did you get the message from my father?"

"I did. And he gave me his blessings. He's very happy for us, Regina."

She smiled.

"How are you feeling?"

"Well, as you know, I wasn't actually ill. I was just dealing with some bouts of morning sickness that don't exactly always come in the morning…" She giggled, and Daniel laughed along with her. She learned that rather quickly after becoming pregnant. "But anyway… I'm feeling much better."

"I'm glad to hear, Regina. I hope I can be there for you the next time."

"And that's what I wanted to talk to you about a few days ago. Telling my parents the truth. My father knows now, but I still have to tell my mother…"

Daniel sensed her worry and took her hands in his. "It'll be okay, Regina. I'll be there with you."

Regina gazed into his eyes and then leaned up to give him a single kiss. "The end of the week? On Sunday evening? I will bring you to dinner, and before that, we can meet with my parents. And if all goes well…"

"Which it will."

She admired his optimism. She wanted to think that things would go well, but with her mother, she had her doubts. The one thing that kept her hopeful was the support she had from her father and Daniel. Surely when her mother heard that she would have a grandchild, she would allow her and Daniel to marry? She wouldn't separate a child from her parents, would she?

Regina gave him a small smile. "We can have our first family dinner then."

Daniel nodded.

"Meet me at the stables at half past three? That'll give us an hour and a half before I will be expected home for dinner."

"Sunday. The stables. Half past three. Sounds like a plan."

Regina pulled Daniel into an embrace. She closed her eyes for a moment, and she could feel herself relax at being so close to him. Sunday was only a few days away, but she didn't want to dwell on it now. She was about to spend the day with Daniel, and she couldn't be any happier for that.

Daniel backed away from her. "Do you have plans for the rest of the day?"

"Not today. My mother's away for business until tomorrow, and well… My father knew I'd want to make up for the time I'd missed with you."

"So would you like to take a ride to Firefly Hill with me?"

"I'd love to, Daniel."

They had only taken a few steps away from each other when they heard a distressed voice call out for help. They turned around and looked out at the field behind them. Regina's eyes widened at the sight. A young girl, no more than ten years old, was on an out of control horse, going at a dangerously fast pace. The girl was holding on tightly to the horse, but she was leaning to the side and could fall off at any second if someone didn't help her…

"Help! Somebody, help me!"

Regina's heart skipped a beat. That could be her child…

She had to save her.

She turned back to Daniel. "We have to help her. That could be…"

Daniel knew what was running through her mind. Their parental instinct had resonated with the both of them the minute they heard the girl's cry. He finished her sentence. "Our child."

Without any hesitations, they jumped on to their horses and chased after the girl. Regina was able to reach her first, and she extended a hand out to her when Rocinante was in pace with her horse. The girl looked over to her side.

"Give me your hand!"

The girl put out her hand, and Regina took hold of it immediately, pulling her on to Rocinante. The girl's horse continued to run across the meadow while Regina slowed Rocinante to a stop. Just as she did, the girl tumbled off the horse. Regina quickly went to her aid, and she heard Daniel get off his own horse to join them.

"It's okay, dear. You're safe."

The girl looked up at her with wide eyes. She could tell she was terribly shaken up by what had just happened. "You saved my life."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. But I'll never ride again."

"Nonsense. The only way to overcome fear is to face it. To get back on that horse as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

She had an idea. They needed to bring the girl back to the stables, and in doing so, she could help her get over her fear of riding horses. Just like Daniel had for her a few years back.

"Regina. And this…" She glanced over her shoulder at Daniel, and he smiled at them. "This is Daniel."

"I'm Snow. Snow White." The girl wrapped her arms around her, which surprised Regina at first, but she welcomed the hug wholeheartedly.

"There was once a time when I feared getting back on a horse. I, too, had a bad riding experience, and for years, I wanted nothing to do with horseback riding."

"Really?"

"Yes. But that all changed when I met Daniel. He helped me get over that fear. He's a very good teacher."

Snow looked up at Daniel.

"So, what do you say? How about we trying riding again? With a little help this time?"

She looked back to her and replied quietly, "Okay."

Regina nodded to Daniel, and he got back on his horse. She helped Snow get on Rocinante again and then got on herself.

"What's your horse's name?"

"His name is Rocinante."

Snow brushed his mane with her fingertips. "What a lovely name."

"Thank you, Snow." She took hold of the reins with one hand. "Ready?"

"I think so."

"Don't worry, dear. We won't go too fast. But I want you to take the reins."

She hesitated and glanced back at Regina.

"I'll be here if anything goes awry. But I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

"Okay." She took hold of the reins. "Can you hold on to my hands until I get the hang of it?"

"Sure thing, Snow." Regina placed her hands over hers, and she felt her ease up.

"Thank you, Regina. You are so kind."

She looked to Daniel, who smiled at her.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Snow?"

"Yep."

"Alright, Snow. Whenever you're ready, go ahead."

Snow gave a small nod. She let out a breath and then gave it go.

It didn't take long before Regina could pull her hands away from Snow's. She gained control of Rocinante rather quickly, and any fears the girl had from earlier disappeared. She was a natural and would no doubt be back at riding on her own in no time. When they had arrived back at the stables and were saying their farewells, Snow thanked them both again for their generosity.

She waved enthusiastically at them when she left, and they waved back at her. When she was far enough away, Daniel put his arm around Regina. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her temple. "You're going to make a great mother, Regina."

She beamed up at him.

She was really looking forward to motherhood. To share in all of the memories with Daniel as their child grew up. But with that excitement also came worry. What if she wasn't a good mother? What if she didn't know how to cope with something when it came up? What if she couldn't handle being a mother at her age? What if she messed up big time and couldn't pick up the pieces?

But then today happened. And her motherly instinct just kicked in. She couldn't explain it, but she somehow just knew exactly what to do. It was almost a miracle that Snow had stumbled into her and Daniel's lives today. She needed her to show her she _could_ do this. She could be a mother.

And she wasn't going to be alone. She'd have Daniel and her father. And hopefully, her own mother.

One thing was for certain. As much as she was nervous for Sunday, she was ready to come clean about everything. She didn't want to have to hide anymore.

* * *

 _Storybrooke, Maine ~ Present_

They were still standing by the stairs, neither of them having answered Henry's question yet. While the awkward silence growing between the three of them was enough to give him an answer, Regina decided she'd better verbalize it. Although one thought kept her silent for a few moments longer.

Emma had expressed how she felt about her. But Regina hadn't reciprocated that. Of course she felt the same way about her, but she hadn't put that to words yet. And that truth scared her still, but Emma deserved to hear it.

 _Tonight. I'll tell her tonight._

"Yes, Henry. We did." Regina glanced at Emma. "And well… There's something else I need to be honest with you about."

Just like she had done with Emma, she needed to be truthful with Henry. No more secrets.

Henry looked up at her with interest. He most likely knew where this was going.

She let out a breath and then started. "The curse. It's real. I've just been lying to you this whole time." Her eyes began to water. "I'm sorry…"

Emma came to her side and put her arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for lying to you. I'm sorry for making people think there was something wrong with you because you believed the fairytales in your book to be real. I'm sorry for what I did to your mother and to your grandparents… To everyone… I'm sorry for being the Evil Queen, Henry. I wish I could take it all back. I really wish I could." In all of the lying, in all of the casualties she had caused, she had hurt Henry. And as his mother, she should have never done that to him. "I'm sorry that I've been such a terrible mother, Henry." She looked down at the floor.

Henry jumped up from the stairs and shook his head. "You haven't been a terrible mom."

Regina raised her head a little to look at him.

"Remember when I was little, and we'd have adventures and pretend we were in a magical land and we were the heroes destined to save the day? Or when I'd beg you to tell me one more story at bedtime, even after you'd told me a few already and you would still tell me another one anyway? Or when you'd take me to the arcade on the weekends or to the park after you'd pick me up from school or to Granny's as a surprise for dinner? Or when I was scared of the dark, and you bought me that nightlight I love that shines stars on my ceiling?"

Regina smiled at the memories. She did remember all of those times. They were just a few of the many memories of Henry's childhood that she held so close to her heart.

"I know that we haven't gotten along lately. And I haven't been the nicest to you. I'm sorry for that. I should have never said that you weren't my real mom, and I should have never called you evil. Because you're not. You've cared for me and loved me so much. And no matter what you did in your past, you're still my mom. And I love you."

Regina couldn't stop the tears from coming. Henry pulled her into a hug, and she tightened the embrace. "I love you, too, Henry. I love you so much, honey."

When Emma first came to town, she had been afraid she would lose Henry for good. But she had been so wrong to think that. Emma had brought them back together again.

She looked to the blonde as she began to talk.

"You've raised a great kid, Regina. I'm so thankful you adopted him. He's lucky to call you his mother."

"Thank you, Emma."

Emma smiled.

 _Without you and Henry, I don't know where I'd be at this point in my life._

Being alone in this world, even with having everyone do what she wanted, had been unbearable. It was too much of a painful reminder of her former life. Because for much of her life, she had been alone, whether it had been by choice or not. And that feeling was terrible. It was why she hated herself for what the curse had done to Emma. She had caused her to feel that same pain of always being alone. For twenty eight years. She should have never had to go through that.

"So," Henry said suddenly, "now that you two are together officially, can we have Emma over for dinner?"

Regina glanced at Emma, and they laughed. "Yes, dear. And speaking of dinner, I should probably get that going, huh?"

He nodded.

"Let me help you," Emma said.

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to."

"I'll help too!" Henry exclaimed.

Regina smiled at the both of them. "Well, if you two insist, then let's head into the kitchen and get started."

They headed for the kitchen, and Regina listened to Emma and Henry's conversation on the way there.

"So, how long did you know about your mom and I?"

"For a while. It became a part of Operation Cobra."

Regina stopped in her tracks and turned around, a puzzled expression on her face. Emma and Henry took this as a sign to stop as well. "Operation Cobra?"

"The plan for breaking the curse," Henry said. "The name was supposed to trick you."

"Oh."

"We'll explain more at dinner," Emma added.

Regina nodded.

The blonde folded her arms across her chest. "Apparently even I didn't know about everything involved in this operation, though."

"Well, I had to test it. See if both of you liked each other. After you saved me and Archie from the mine, I noticed something changed between you two. You didn't fight as much. And when you'd talk, there were these moments when you guys stared at each other kind of funny. Like you were lost in each other's eyes. It seemed obvious then. To me, at least. So I added it to the operation and waited it out to see what happened."

 _Yeah… The day of the mine incident inspired quite a lot of longing gazes shared between me and Emma…_

"So you've known for that long and only just said something now?"

"Well, I thought you two would say something to each other way earlier. But you're both stubborn!"

Regina couldn't help herself. She started to laugh, and Emma did as well. They both knew that statement was absolutely true.

Regina decided to make lasagna that night, which was one of her favorite recipes that she had perfected over the years. Emma loved it so much that she went for seconds after her first helping. She was glad she had enjoyed it. She remembered the first time she'd made lasagna for dinner guests and how badly that had gone (it was a memory she tried to push out of her mind, and not because the lasagna she'd made then was bad). Of course, that had only been days after the curse and she'd had plenty of practice with cooking since then.

After they had finished dinner and cleared away the table, she had Henry get his storybook and the three of them gathered around the kitchen table again, intent on finding something in the book that could lead them in the right direction to breaking the curse. Regina took more interest in the book than Emma and Henry, as she hadn't taken a real close look at it since she had found out Henry had it in his possession.

"We thought there might be something in the book, something you and I missed before," Emma said as she watched Regina flip through the pages.

Henry nodded and looked down at the book. Something caught his eye, and he put out his hand. "Wait!"

Regina stopped before turning to the next page.

"That's a new story," he explained, pointing at the page.

"A new story?" she asked. "How is that possible?"

Henry turned to Emma. "Remember when my book went missing?"

"Yeah. It was after that bad storm hit Storybrooke and damaged your castle." She looked to Regina. "Someone took the book, but we weren't sure who."

Henry turned back to Regina, guilt written all over his face. "Well, I thought it may have been you… Sorry."

"It's okay, Henry."

He took a moment to read the first paragraph of the new story. "Huh. This is about Pinocchio." He flipped through the story. "That's weird. It's not finished."

"So when this someone took the book, they must have added the story."

Emma rested her head against the palm of her hand, lost in a minute of thought. "And yet they didn't bother to finish it?"

"They probably panicked. Maybe they knew someone was on to them with taking the book. Henry, you were able to figure out about us and the curse. Do you have any guesses as to who might have taken the book? Besides me."

He shook his head.

Emma's face lit up suddenly, and Regina knew she was on to something. She nodded to the book. "Henry, can I see the book for a minute?"

Henry pushed the book her way, and she turned right to the end of it. The last few pages were blank, as if the words were just waiting to be written as the stories played themselves out. Emma examined the pages closely, searching for even a drop of ink that may have hinted to something important, but she found nothing. She was about to close the book in defeat at the last page, but she stopped herself midway. Her eyes shone in surprise, and she let the book fall back open.

"What is it, Emma?" Regina asked.

She held up a small, folded up piece of paper. "Have you seen this before, Henry?"

"No. But I haven't looked at the back of the book since you found it."

Emma opened the note and read it. "Well, whoever took the book knew about us. And I think I know who it is." She looked at Regina. "Remember our suspicious stranger who took a very keen interest in Henry?"

One name flashed in her mind. She couldn't forget the man who approached Henry one morning before she took him to school. "Yes."

Emma handed the note to her. "August. He knew about us, about the curse, and is obviously trying to give us clues by adding this story. I have to talk to him." She stood up from her chair.

Regina quickly read the note and then looked up at Emma. "Wait, you're not going to talk to him now, are you?"

The blonde shrugged. "Why not?"

She glanced at the stove clock. "Well, for starters, it's a little after nine o'clock. I don't think he'll appreciate you knocking down his door to chat this late at night. I think it's something that can wait until tomorrow?"

"Yeah…" She sat back down. "I suppose you're right."

Henry yawned suddenly, and Regina grinned.

"And it's someone's bedtime."

"But I need to read that new story…"

"You can do that tomorrow when you get home from school. And we can all talk about Operation Cobra at dinner tomorrow night. But it's been…" She looked at Emma and then back at Henry. "Quite an eventful day for all of us, and I think we could all use some sleep."

He didn't protest this time and got up from his chair. He made his way out of the kitchen.

"Emma and I will be up there in a few."

"Okay!"

Regina looked back down at the note in her hands. There wasn't much written, but the message was clear. August had known there was something between her and Emma, and just like Henry, he wanted them to admit their feelings for each other.

 _Tell her how you feel._

It wasn't directed specifically at either her or Emma, and he must have considered the possibility that either of them may have stumbled upon the note. So that now made two people in town who suspected something between them. And then what Henry said earlier about the way they looked at each other…

 _Did we really make it that obvious?_

She guessed she would find out soon enough. She wasn't sure she was ready to make their relationship public yet, at least not until they had more leads on breaking the curse. She had her suspicions about Gold, and she knew there was something he was hiding from her.

She placed the note back on the table. "Do you think August will have the answer to breaking the curse?"

"I'm not sure. But it's worth a shot. Thanks for dinner, by the way. And for allowing me to say goodnight to Henry, too."

"Of course, Emma. You're as much his mother as I am. I think we could both get used to having you around more often."

Emma smiled.

As they said goodnight to Henry, Regina felt a distinct feeling resonate inside her. Having a family with someone… She had always wanted this. She remembered dreaming of that when she a little girl, and how much she had hoped to have a family with Daniel one day. And for a minute, she felt she'd had that piece once. Like she had experienced the joy and nervousness of starting a family back in the Enchanted Forest. But she knew that was a ridiculous thought. She never had that. She had only wished for it.

After leaving Henry's bedroom, they went back downstairs and awkwardly lingered in the foyer for some time.

 _Okay. This is it. Do as August said. Tell her how you feel._

But Regina couldn't get her mouth to work. Her heart started to pound, and the words got jumbled in her mind. She watched as Emma stuck her hands in her jeans pockets and took a few steps backward.

It was more than just nerves. It was the bigger picture, of what it could mean for her if she said those three words. Love had always equated itself with loss for her, and if she lost that love again somewhere down the road, she wasn't sure if she would be able to handle it this time. She had brought upon so much devastation over losing Daniel. What if she slipped down the path again and caused even worse destruction?

 _No. I will not do that again. I won't let the darkness consume me._

Emma woke her from her thoughts as she broke the silence. "Um, well, goodnight, Regina."

"Yeah. Goodnight."

And with that, she turned away, walking towards the door. Regina opened her mouth, but then shut it when she realized she still didn't know what to say.

 _There's always tomorrow. I can tell her tomorrow._

But Emma had poured her heart out to her today in the stables, and she needed to know that she loved her as much as she did. She knew it hadn't been easy for Emma to tell her how she felt either. So why wait any longer?

Regina let out a breath.

 _Tell her._

Emma had her hand on the doorknob when she finally worked up her courage.

"Emma, wait."

She turned back around.

"I didn't get to tell you how I felt today. About you, I mean."

She took a few steps closer to her and waited.

"What happened last week, it meant something to me. And I do love you, Emma. I really do. I just… I need to take it slow. Because it's been a very long time since I've opened up to someone, and love for me… It's fragile. Because the last time I loved someone, I lost them. And… I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. I promise."

Regina smiled.

"I need to take it slow, too. For the same reasons."

She nodded.

"I love you, Regina."

Her tone was so soft, so gentle, that it brought tears to her eyes. She beamed at her, and Emma smiled in response.

"See you in the morning? To walk Henry to school together?"

"Yeah," Regina said with a nod. "I'd like that."

"Okay. Goodnight again."

Regina laughed lightly. "Goodnight, Emma."

She waved once, walked to the door, and left the house. Regina stayed in the foyer a few moments more, her mind lost in the day's events.

Her life had taken a turn today. It was the first of many changes that would be happening in Storybrooke in the days to come. And the transition wouldn't be easy. That she knew. But she wouldn't trade it for anything. No. This happiness she had, she was going to fight for it. She wasn't going to let anyone take it away from her this time. And in doing so, she would redeem herself. She would make up for what she did in her past.

* * *

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Present_

Wide, scared eyes were staring into her own. And what was she doing? Grinning in delight. Laughing wickedly at watching this person suffer and struggle to breath as she tightened her grip around the beating heart. She was enjoying this moment so much.

Too much.

He was pleading with her to stop. Saying he would return what he stole from her. Do anything she'd request of him if she would only let him live.

"Please."

She smirked some more and brought a finger to his lips.

"Ssshhh. I don't want to hear any of it." She looked down at the heart and then back at him. "This is what you get for crossing me. For taking what isn't yours. I guess you should have thought better of what you did, huh?"

"I'm sorry…"

She was quick to respond. "Apology _not_ accepted." Before he could choke out another plea, she crushed his heart and watched him fall to the ground as the dust from her hand blew across the forest floor.

Just like that, he was gone.

Just like that.

And she had done that.

She had killed him.

Avery awoke with a jolt. She sat up and looked down at her now shaking hands.

What she'd seen… It wasn't a dream. No… It was a remembrance of things past. She had ripped out that man's heart and crushed it all because he had stolen from her. Even though he offered to give it back… To never bother her again…

Yet she didn't listen. She hadn't cared. All she wanted to do was make him suffer.

She had only been sixteen. And the darkness had already taken its toll on her.

Avery threw off the covers and stood up.

She needed some fresh air.

She stepped out of the tent and into the night. She picked up a sword and headed towards the forest.

And so she walked. She trekked around the woods until she could shake the memory off. She came to a clearing and took a seat on a log. She closed her eyes and envisioned her mother's smile, of how happy she was to have a family with the blonde-haired woman and the brunette-haired boy. And that was enough to calm her down.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Avery jumped up from the log, unsheathed her sword, and whipped around. Her eyes widened when she came face to face with her intruder.

Could she perhaps still be in a dream? That had to be it. Give it a few more seconds, and she would wake up…

She couldn't be here. She was supposed to be dead.

Yet here her grandmother was, standing before her that evening. She couldn't keep the edginess out of her voice as she responded.

"You're… You're alive?"

Cora simply smiled and nodded towards the sword in her hand. "Now, please Avery, put that thing down. We both know you don't know how to properly use it."

She hesitated, but lowered the sword when she realized it wasn't doing anything to intimidate her.

"Look at you. You've grown up into such a beautiful young woman." Cora smiled again. "You really are your mother's daughter."

Avery didn't want to hear any of her sweet talk. She may have never personally talked with her grandmother, but she knew how she operated. She was only interested in her because she wanted something from her. So she cut to chase. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see my granddaughter."

"See me? After twenty eight years you finally wanted to make an appearance in my life?"

"We were frozen in time, dear."

"What about the eighteen years before the curse?"

"Things were complicated."

"Complicated?" she asked disbelievingly.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Wouldn't understand? Oh, I think I understand perfectly clear. You didn't care about my mother's happiness. All you cared about was your own. And for you, that meant status and royalty and power. Couldn't have your daughter married to a stable boy, now could you? Nor could you allow her to have a child with such a man of low rank. No. I was just an embarrassment to the family name. So you tossed me away, just like you tossed my mother's happiness away."

Avery could tell she had struck a chord. She had cracked through Cora's calm composure, and a frown appeared on her face. "Is that any way to talk to your grandmother?"

Sure, she was harsh. And should she have spoken to her grandmother like that? Of course not. But she couldn't help herself. There was a lot of pent-up anger she had towards her grandmother. And she still couldn't yet forgive her for separating her from her mother.

"We may be related by blood, but I don't hold you in any kind regard. Not after what you did to us. To _my_ family." She took a step backward. "Whatever you want to talk with me about, I'm not interested." She was about to turn away when Cora spoke up again.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah. Sure you are."

"I really do mean it, dear. I want to make up for what I did."

Avery folded her arms across her chest. She didn't believe her. It seemed too good to be true.

"We can all be a family again. Your mother, you, and I. And if we work together…"

"I'm not working with you."

"Avery…"

"No. I'm not helping you. Because only one of us knows what's best for my mother. And it's sure the hell not you." She turned away this time.

"You will need me. I know you're trying to find a way to Regina. But you won't be able to do it alone. Not without my help. Until then, I wish you luck, Avery."

She turned around again, but just as she did, Cora vanished in a purple cloud of smoke. She looked around her, seeing if she'd escaped into the forest around her, but there was no sign of her.

Avery gripped the hilt of her sword.

They had a new threat to worry about. And one thing was clear.

Her grandmother had been waiting for this moment. She had plotted for this before the curse even struck. And whatever her plan was, she was going to cause destruction to get what she wanted. She'd stop at nothing.

But Avery wouldn't let that happen. She'd protect the people at camp with her life.

And most importantly.

She wasn't going to let her take away her mother's happiness again.

She took off running to camp.

* * *

 _Hope you enjoyed :) I'll try to get another chapter up as soon as possible!_

 _Review? :)_


	4. The Ring

_**A/N:**_ _Thank you so much for the response from the last chapter. I am so glad that so many of you are enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying writing it._

 _Longest chapter yet! Much focus is devoted to the past in this one with Regina, but this will be the first time with Emma's POV in the present. Also, Mulan's back in this chapter._

* * *

 _Chapter Four: The Ring_

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Many Years Ago_

Sunday.

The day was finally here.

Regina had tossed and turned in her sleep all night. By the time the morning sun began to rise in the sky, she had fallen into a terrible bout of nausea. She had barely recovered when she was expected for breakfast. She couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was lucky her mother seemed rather preoccupied that morning and was absent from the dining table. Especially when she almost lost it after taking a few bites of her toast.

Her father quickly changed seats from sitting across from her to the chair next to her. She pushed her plate away from her and rested her head down on the table. She stayed like that for several minutes, and Henry rubbed her back, reassuring her, telling her it would be okay. He knew she was nervous about today. She had told him of her plan to bring Daniel home with her tonight and have him there with her when she revealed the truth before they had dinner. And most likely, her nerves were contributing to and making this episode of nausea harder to handle.

She was able to get down her piece of toast, but she didn't dare eat anything else. She excused herself after that and asked her father if she could be alone until she left to see Daniel. He allowed her to be alone, and she spent the next several hours in her room, laying on her bed with her eyes closed as she tried to fight off the nausea and her worry about how the day would unravel. When the nausea finally subsided and she felt steady on her feet again, she began to pace around her room, practicing several different approaches to telling her mother about everything and imagining the possible ways she would react and how she would respond to those reactions. She had practiced this with Daniel on their day together when they sat at the top of Firefly Hill, awaiting the coming sunset. When the real conversation came, she hoped to be prepared for anything because she wanted with all her heart for her mother to accept her and Daniel being together and having a family.

Regina was surprised not to hear a knock on her door from her mother. After feigning being sick for nearly a week, she expected her to question staying in her bedroom for such a long period of time. But like she had noticed this morning, she was completely absent-minded. Regina didn't know whether that was a good or bad sign. If she was like this later tonight, maybe this conversation would end well…

She hoped.

She did hear that knock eventually. It wasn't from her mother, though.

Regina was now sitting on the edge of her bed, and Henry joined her when he entered the room. He placed a hand on top of hers, and she gave him a small smile.

"Things will go well today, Regina."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

She looked at him with interest.

"I have good news."

She brightened up. "You do?"

"Remember the girl you told me about? Snow, was it?"

She nodded.

"She is the king's daughter. And he is coming to the castle to personally thank you for saving her."

"The king?" Regina repeated, bewildered at her luck. "He's coming to thank me?"

"Yep."

She was glad that Snow was safe. That her and Daniel were able to get to her before anything happened to her. She would have done it no matter whether the girl was the king's daughter or not. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing any parents' child get hurt. She would step in harm's way to protect her own child. She knew Daniel would do the same.

"I'm glad that Daniel and I could be there for her."

"I am, too."

"I only wish Daniel could be here for it as well. He was as much a help to Snow as me."

"We can tell him tonight at dinner and then send a message to the king about him. Surely he will thank Daniel in some way. The king is kind man."

Regina smiled.

Henry stood up from the bed and put out his hand to her. She grabbed on to it and he helped her to her feet. "Your mother is waiting downstairs in the dining hall. She would like to talk to you."

"Okay."

They made their way downstairs to the dining hall. Her mother looked to them as soon as they arrived in the room. Regina glanced back at her father, and he gave her a nod. She turned back to her mother and walked over to her.

"Mother? You wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh, Regina. I am so proud of you." Cora pulled her into an embrace, and Regina wrapped her arms around her. This was certainly something she hadn't been expecting. "You did the right thing in saving that girl."

The hug was short, but it impacted her. Her mother was not one to give hugs often, nor did she show affection in the way that her father did. But she just had now. When they backed away from each other, she was smiling a true smile, one that conveyed she was sincerely happy about what she did. The smile, the hug, hearing her say she was proud of her… It meant so much to her. It was closest thing she'd get to "I love you". Which was another thing she didn't often say to her. At least not anymore.

"Thank you, Mother."

Cora gave her a small nod. "The king should nearly be here." She directed her attention to her father. "Henry, will you please go and see if our guest has arrived and escort him to the dining hall?"

"Yes, Cora." He turned around and left the room.

Cora looked back at her. "I hear that you even helped her to get over her fear of riding?"

"Yes. I did."

"That was very nice of you. You will make a fine mother one day."

"Really?" she asked quietly.

"Of course, dear."

Regina smiled. She felt a flicker of hope. Maybe this could actually go well tonight. Maybe she would hug her once more? Tell her she was happy for her? Maybe she would even say "I love you"?

Maybe the news of her having a child would cause a change in her heart?

"Now, let's have you wear something more fitting for meeting the king." Cora waved her hand in the air, and Regina was engulfed by a cloud of purple smoke. Seconds later, her casual outfit had been replaced by a blue gown and her long, brunette hair was now curled nicely. She looked down at the dress, admiring its beauty. "That's more like it."

"It's beautiful, Mother. I love it."

Cora smiled. "Only the best for my daughter."

How a day could take a turn so suddenly!

Regina could feel her nervousness begin to ebb. She wondered what the king would say to her, if she would get to see Snow again… What if, when they informed the king of Daniel's help in saving Snow, he invited them to one of the royal balls? She wanted so much to attend a dance like that in her life, and she could go with Daniel… Dancing with him, being spun around, gazing up into his blue eyes… She could just imagine it all. It would be the perfect evening. But she would have to learn how to dance first… She had never had the opportunity to learn, nor had she needed to know how.

She couldn't wait to tell Daniel about this meeting.

She heard footsteps outside the room, and she turned around just as her father returned. In followed the king, and he had a few escorts walking behind him.

"Is that her?" he asked.

"Yes." Henry looked to her. "Regina, honey. This is Snow White's father."

 _The king. Of all the people King Leopold could see, he has taken the time to come see me!_

She was more star-struck than she had imagined herself being. But how could she not be? The leader of the kingdom was standing before her.

Regina saw her mother bow, and she followed suit.

"No. It is I who should bow to you."

Regina and Cora both stood up straight. King Leopold walked over to her.

"You saved my daughter's life. There is no way to repay that debt. It is an honor to meet you." He bowed to her.

She was lost for words. Her mother didn't let her stay quiet for long, though. She whispered to her, "Regina, dear. The king's honored to meet you. Say something."

So she said the first thing that came to her mind. "The honor is mine."

"You're quite lucky to have a mother who looks out for you. My dear Snow has many things, but a mother is not one of them. We lost her years ago."

Hearing that pulled at her heart. Even though she had a strained relationship with her mother, she still loved her as much as she did her father. She couldn't fathom losing either one of them. "I'm so sorry."

"Since then, I have scoured the land looking for a wife. I've yet to find a woman with an interest in my daughter… Until now."

 _Wait… What?_

 _No, no!_

Her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest at the realization of what this meeting was all about. It wasn't only to thank her for saving Snow. That was only the beginning that quickly led to the climatic end.

He was going to propose to her.

He wanted her to take his hand in marriage.

Regina glanced at her mother.

Her happiness. Being proud of her. Saying she would make a good mother.

She knew all this time the outcome of this. She had planned for this! That day she was gone… It was no accident. She had somehow arranged this marriage. Regina just knew it had be because that was how her mother was.

King Leopold turned to his men, took a ring out of a jeweled box, and then turned back to her, kneeling on one knee before her. "Will you marry me, Regina?"

She looked in horror at her father, and he shook his head. She couldn't let this happen. No. She was going to have a family with Daniel. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him!

But she didn't speak up soon enough.

"Yes." Regina whipped her head to the side, her eyes wide. Cora simply smiled at her, took her hand, and repeated herself. "Yes."

Of all the things that could have happened on this day, this had to have been the worst. This put an end to her and Daniel's relationship without her mother even knowing about them being together.

Not that Regina could tell her anymore. She would never let her trade her life of marrying into royalty to be the wife of a stable boy. No matter how much it made her happy.

Despite knowing all of this, the anger was still there, firing up inside her. _How could she do this to me?_ How? _This is for her. For_ her! It took all of her strength not to scream at her mother, to keep her calm composure as she slowly turned back to the man kneeling in front of her and gave him a small smile. Because even if she did lose it, it wouldn't change the fact that her mother accepted. She would only embarrass her family if she acted that way, and she would no doubt hear it from her mother later.

So here she would be, pregnant, separated from Daniel, and married to the king.

It hadn't been just her day that had taken a sudden turn. Her life had as well.

She was relieved that the king didn't stay too much longer after the proposal. She'd unfortunately be seeing him much more than she wanted in the days to come.

As soon as she was able to be alone again, she went to her room and immediately took off the ring. She shoved it one of her drawers, never wanting to see the damn thing again. She changed out of her dress into something more comfortable, curled up on to her bed, and began to cry.

 _What am I going to do?_

 _I can't have this life for my child._

 _I can't._

She wrapped her arms around waist.

She couldn't go through with this marriage. Not just for her own sake, but for her child's.

 _Momma's going to protect you. I will not let you be separated from your father._

There was only one way out. It wouldn't be easy, especially as she moved further along in her pregnancy, but it was the only way the three of them could be together.

She looked up and quickly wiped away her tears when she heard a knock on the door. She relaxed at her father's voice, and she told him he could come in. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, and he took a seat at the end of her bed.

"I am so sorry, honey. I had no idea."

"It's okay." Regina knew that her father hadn't a clue about the king's real intentions of coming to see her. It wasn't like Mother would have shared that bit of information with him. Had he known, he would have tried to fight for her, did everything he could to sway her decision. But he wouldn't have won. He never did. Her mother always had the final say. And that was why Regina couldn't tell her the truth now. She would never allow her to be with Daniel, even if she was having a child with him.

"We should talk to her now. Tell her the truth."

Regina shook her head.

"I know you had plans to see Daniel first, but this can't wait until tonight. She needs to know now."

She shook her head once again and spoke in a whisper. "No. I can never tell her now. She will _never_ understand."

"And why not?" he asked gently.

She frowned at him. He always saw the best in people, which she wholeheartedly admired. But he knew how Mother was. He knew what she spoke was the truth. Yet somehow he was still trying to be optimistic that things would work themselves out, and this time, Regina didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to live with a false sense of hope.

"She was proud of me today. Proud that I had finally done something right in her eyes. And now that I'm going to be living the life she has always wanted for me, she isn't going to let me stray from that."

"But Regina. Daniel is the father of your child. It is him who you love."

"And do you think any of that will matter to her?" she questioned crossly.

Henry hung his head a little, and she knew it wasn't entirely because of the harsh tone she'd used with him. The apprehensions that they'd both had were becoming a reality, and it pained her father to have to accept that her own mother would push aside Regina's happiness so that she could live out the one path she had always planned for her. To become a queen one day.

Regina bit her lip, feeling bad for yelling at her father. She wasn't mad at him in the slightest, but she was finding it hard to keep her frustrations at bay after what had happened earlier. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

He looked back up at her. "It's okay, sweetheart."

She fidgeted with the sleeve of her shirt. "You know how she is. I know you want to believe that she'll be accepting, and I've wanted to believe that just as much as you. But you can't change people. Especially not someone like Mother."

His eyes shone with understanding, and he pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry about your mother, Regina."

She teared up at hearing this. It was the first time he had let his guard down about her mother. He didn't always try to defend her, but he would never say anything bad about her, at least not in front of Regina. "It's okay. It's not your fault."

"I am so proud of the woman you have grown up to be. Please don't change. And please promise me that you will never try to block out love from your heart."

She tightened the embrace. "I promise, Daddy. I promise."

But she would change. She would struggle to keep that promise. And as much as she would hate to admit it, she would become like her mother one day. After being pushed to her limit, could anyone blame her? She would lose Daniel, she would lose her child… And once she was married to Leopold, she would lose her life. Having to deal with that pain over the years to come would be enough to change her (even with the absence of her memories of her child—that would have only caused her greater pain had her mother not taken those memories from her). Change her so much that she would forget the words her father told her, become blinded by rage, and shape her into the villain the kingdom would fear most.

Evil was not born, after all. It was made.

Regina backed away after a few minutes had passed. "I can't go through with this marriage."

"I don't want you to."

"And that's why I must do this. I can't let our family be torn apart." A few tears rolled down her face as she said her next words. "I have to run."

"Regina… Being on the run will be difficult. And more so since you are pregnant."

"I know. But what other choice do we have? This is the only way for us to be together."

His eyes were glistening, and she could tell he was on the verge of crying himself. The scene broke Regina's heart. She hated having to say goodbye, knowing that she would most likely not see him again for a long time. It shouldn't have had to be this way. Her and Daniel should have been happily married, they should have been able to raise their child together without worry of what her mother would think, her father should have been around to witness the many milestones their child would go through, just as her and Daniel would see… Her mother should have been able to love. Because had she been capable of that, she would have never done this to her. She would have treated her and her father with more respect. She would have hugged her more and spent more time with her. She would have said "I love you" more.

She may not be able to change her mother's ways, but she could learn from it all. She would _never_ be like that with her own child. And if her child came to her one day and said she wanted to marry a stable boy (or perhaps a stable girl!), she would never stop her from it.

"I know this is your happy ending, Regina. And unlike your mother, I cannot take that from you. I want you to be happy."

She gave him a small smile.

"But you come right home if anything goes wrong. And if you must, I will protect you and Daniel from her. I promise."

She nodded, and in that moment, it really hit her. He was pledging to protect her and Daniel from Mother. Face the dire consequences that would come did she find out for them. And once she left, he would be protecting them. He would lie for them, play the part that he had no idea Regina would run away. He would keep Regina's secret, just like he had done recently with her pregnancy. And it hadn't been the first time in her life that he had protected her from her mother. Nor had it been the first time that he had taken the fallout for her. She never had to ask. He simply did it because he loved her.

And to think, all these years, he had stayed. He had stayed for her despite Mother. And he still loved her mother, even if she rarely reciprocated that feeling. But Regina knew he was not happy. It had become clearer to her as a teenager, when she had begun to recognize her own unhappiness with the way her life was. Somehow, in all that unhappiness, he had pushed through and still held on to the hope that things would get better. Yet here she was, about to leave, when she was probably the one thing that gave him hope.

She would come back for him. She had to.

"Will you leave tonight?"

"No. I must talk to Daniel first. But it will be soon."

Henry nodded solemnly.

"I will say goodbye before I leave. And it will not be the last time we see each other. I want you to meet your grandchild, after all."

He smiled, and he couldn't hold back the tears this time. "I'm going to miss you very much, Regina."

"I will, too, Daddy." She wrapped her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. "I will, too.

* * *

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Many Years Ago_

Sunday. The stables. Half past three.

The day, the place, and the time. The only three things that had gone as planned.

If only she had the damn insight. Known what was to come in the future.

She still would have saved Snow. This wasn't the girl's fault. She could never blame her for what happened. No. This was all her mother's doing.

She would have run sooner. They could have left the previous night. Been far away from here when the king showed up at the castle.

 _I didn't need to know the future. I should have just expected something to go wrong. Because when has anything in my life ever gone as planned? Mother always found a way to ruin it. Always._

Regina turned around at the sound of Daniel's voice. Despite the course of the day's events, she still found herself smiling at the cheerfulness in his tone. He could always brighten her day, even when she was feeling down. He was her sunshine in her darkest hours.

"What do you think?" he asked as he approached her.

He was wearing one of the best outfits he owned for their dinner that night. He wanted to look nice for her parents, make a good first impression when she brought him home with her. Her father had already said wonderful things about him, and they had gotten along in the very brief exchanges they'd had recently. Of course, her father had never thought anything bad of him before he knew about the relationship, and he had commented on numerous occasions that they were fortunate to have him working in the stables and teaching Regina how to ride horses in his free time. Her mother, on the other hand, had criticized him before, nitpicking him for the tiniest of things that he'd miss after a long day of work. She'd hear it at dinnertime, and she would have to hold her tongue and clench her fists under the table as her mother rambled on about how he had done a "terrible" job because he hadn't taken care of "such and such thing" that Regina knew was so minor, so unimportant, that had he forgotten the task on any other given day, it wouldn't have mattered. She simply had come up with something she could belittle him about, all because he was of lower status than herself, and she had to remind him of that. It made Regina so mad that she did that. Her mother understood what that humiliation felt like, how difficult it was to be poor, and yet she still reciprocated that hurt.

The dinner never would have gone well. Her mother wouldn't have even let Daniel walk through the doors, no matter how finely he would have dressed and well-mannered he would have presented himself. All he was to her mother was an immense step down that would surely wreck Regina's future, a man completely unfitting for her because her daughter was destined to be so much more than the wife of a stable boy.

"You look lovely, Daniel."

"Think your mother will approve?"

"I… I wish, dear." Just when she thought she had cried the last of her tears earlier, her eyes watered once more and the tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I'm afraid the dinner has been cancelled, Daniel."

"Oh?" He brought her close to him and reached a hand up to her face, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb. "Regina, what happened?"

"Remember the girl we saved a few days ago?"

He nodded.

"She is the king's daughter, and he came to see me today. My father and I were under the impression that the meeting was just to thank me for saving her… But we were wrong. The king proposed to me, Daniel. And my mother accepted."

He frowned, and he took hold of her hands, as if to tell her he wouldn't allow for this, that he would fight for her and their child and their happiness. She tightened her grip around his hands, never wanting to let him go.

"I refuse to go through with it. I will never be happy if I am not with you."

"And neither will I."

She glanced down at their joined hands and then looked back up at him. "We have to run, Daniel. That is the only way my mother can't break our family apart."

"Are you sure, Regina?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"What about your father? He will be devastated to see you leave."

"He already knows. It upsets him, but he knows how happy you make me. And that's what he has always wanted for me. To be happy. And he told me he could never take that away from me. Even if that means we have to be separated."

Daniel gave her hands a gentle squeeze and then pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. He gingerly kissed the top of her head and then rested his own head on top of hers. They began to sway together, and Regina closed her eyes, pretending just for a moment that none of this was happening, that the king had never proposed to her, that she was instead preparing for her marriage to Daniel rather than planning to run away with him, that she never had to keep her relationship to him a secret in the first place, that her mother hadn't cared about her becoming some queen…

Queen.

She hated that word. She had heard it all her life, her mother insisting it would be the one thing that would bring her happiness.

No.

Family. And love. _Those_ were the things that would bring Regina happiness. The two most precious pieces of life that her mother seemed to have little understanding of.

She leaned back slightly from Daniel and gazed up into his blue eyes. She spoke in a loving whisper. "Marry me, Daniel."

He smiled down at her. "Then if I am to marry you, we must do this properly." He stepped back from her, went to one of the saddles, and unclipped a ring. He turned back to her. "Three years ago, I met a girl who, no matter what I did, refused to get on a horse. And quite honestly, I just thought you were being stubborn. You'd spend hours taking care of the horses, but the minute I suggested we try riding, you'd leave for the day."

Regina giggled at her own silly behavior. "I remember."

"But when you finally gave it a try, you fell in love with it. From that day on, you would come to the stables and ride Rocinante whenever you had the chance. And that's when you really started talking to me." He grinned. "You were suddenly not so stubborn anymore."

She laughed again. Yes, it had taken her a few weeks to not only warm up to the idea of horseback riding, but also to him.

He laughed lightly before continuing. "The more time I spent with you, the more I really got to know you, I discovered the truly wonderful person you are. And me being the shy stable boy that I was, I didn't tell you how I felt for a while. But there was no denying I was falling more and more in love with you with each passing day."

"As was I."

"And now, here we are, our love stronger than ever as we welcome our first child into the world in the months to come."

Her hand fell to her belly, and she beamed at Daniel.

"Regina, you are my everything, my true love, and I am so grateful that I can spend the rest of my life with you." He got down on one knee and held up the ring to her. "Regina Mills, will you marry me?"

She teared up, but for the first time that day, they were tears of great joy. "Yes." She started to nod, then put out her hand to him. "Yes, Daniel. I'll marry you."

He smiled, his own eyes glistening with tears at seeing her so happy. He placed the ring on her finger and stood up to meet her for a kiss. When they backed away from each other afterward, they both got lost in each other's eyes for a moment before either of them said anything.

"I love you so much, Daniel."

"I love you, too, Regina." He placed a hand on her cheek, and she leaned her head against his palm. "I love you, too."

Their future, she knew, wasn't going to be easy. That the journey that lay ahead of them would present itself with challenges. But as long as she had Daniel by her side, she knew she would be okay. Together, they could make it through anything.

They then kissed again, and again, and again, and all Regina could think was, _I'm never letting go. Not of Daniel. Not of our baby. Not of this happiness._

 _I will_ never _let go._

* * *

 _Storybrooke, Maine ~ Present_

Emma took a deep breath and raised her hand to the door. She had taken a break from the station and headed over to the B&B. She wasn't sure August would be there, but she wanted to give it a try. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about the note and the curse and what August could possibly know about it all.

Her mind was spinning. It had been since she'd gone to the stables yesterday.

She had taken a huge step with Regina. She told her how she felt, and despite her initial refusal to take that step with her, she eventually welcomed it. She was still scared. Afraid of losing another loved one. But she was willing to try again. And hearing her say she loved her last night brought on such a strong wave of emotions inside her, the same powerful emotions she'd felt when they spent the night together a week ago. When she returned to the loft and fell on to her bed last night, she had stared up at the ceiling for several long moments, tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of how much Regina and Henry and Storybrooke had changed her life in such a remarkable way. And she would never ask for it to be any different.

And then the curse… Listening to Regina tell the story of how it all came about, the pain that had rooted itself inside her for years and then exploded into rage because she, like herself, had been rejected. Misunderstood. Alone. For what felt like a great deal of her life. She hadn't heard it all, but she didn't need those missing pieces to know exactly what she had been going through. And while Regina felt responsible for having made her feel that way during her own life, she didn't point an accusatory finger her way. Her parents could have made another choice. They could have kept her, been a family, cursed together. And at least then she wouldn't have been alone. Even if it was all fake.

The new story in Henry's book. That note. _Tell her how you feel._ Racking her brain for reasons why August cared to help her with the curse and Regina and how he even knew about them slowly building their relationship. Between the emotions and the thoughts, she could barely sleep or concentrate at work. She needed answers.

Her fist hit the wooden door, and she heard movement inside the room.

 _He's here._

There was a click, and then the door swung open. Before August could say anything, he stumbled forward slightly and Emma put her arms out, prepared to catch him if he fell forward. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

Emma begged to differ, but she didn't call him out on it. She watched him carefully as he stood up straight and placed his hand on the door for support.

"What brings you here, Emma?"

She looked around her to make sure the coast was clear (she wasn't sure if anyone else knew about the curse—although she would put her money on Gold—and she didn't want to take any chances with someone overhearing their conversation) and then held out Henry's storybook in front of her. She had asked him if she could borrow it for the day before her and Regina left the house that morning to walk with him to the bus stop. "I found your note."

August nodded.

"I'm not sure who you meant to find it, but…" She stopped, lost for what she wanted to say next. She had too many different thoughts racing through her mind that were crashing together into one jumbled mess.

August caught on to her sudden state of confusion. He raised an eyebrow at her, as if to prompt her further with her last statement.

Emma shook her head and refocused on the question that was really bothering her instead of letting herself babble about the whole thing. "How did you know?"

And really, had it all been that obvious as Henry claimed it to be that her and Regina had been falling for each other all this time? If that was the case, maybe Mary Margaret had already guessed it and was taking bets against Ruby and Ashley on who would say "I love you" first…

That girls' night out on Valentine's Day? Maybe the three of them were all secretly hoping she'd show up with Regina as her date. That would have been a story to tell…

 _Okay, Emma. You're taking it a little too far now._

Damn jumbled thoughts.

"I'm a writer. I pay close attention to details."

"Oh, do you now?" she asked, a little too harshly. "Were you following us?" She hadn't meant it to come out like that, but she was still trying to decide how she felt about him. Part of her believed she could trust him, as it seemed like his intentions for helping them break the curse were good. But there was that air of mystery about him that bothered her.

August appeared to be somewhat hurt by her words. "No."

"Then why bother with the note?"

He glanced down at the book and then back up at her. "One morning, when I was walking out of the diner, I saw you two together. Henry had just left for school. While your exchange with Regina was brief, I noticed a change in you after she had said something. See, eyes, Emma, reveal everything, even when body language and facial expressions don't. And while you didn't smile, and your expression remained serious after you heard her words, your eyes just lit up. Like whatever she told you completely turned your life around. In that moment, Regina Mills became something more to you. Regina Mills became someone who had broken down your walls and found her way into your heart."

Emma looked away and let out a breath. He wasn't wrong about any of it. As her stare downward threatened to burn a hole in the floor beneath her, she became engulfed in the memory of the day, the conversation that lasted only a few minutes flashing through her mind.

Henry's bus had just left and was only a few feet down the road. Regina had let her join them at the bus stop. Emma didn't understand why. Neither did she understand why some days they'd be at each other throat's and then other days Regina would show some kindness to her, or let her spend just an extra ten minutes with her son, or give her a small smile that was sincere after she'd done something for her. And since the days that they were angered with one another were being replaced more and more with days that Regina displayed subtle moments of compassion towards her, she became completely overwhelmed with confusing and conflicting emotions that she had tried so hard to push aside because she wasn't ready to let someone else in again. Not when she was sure she knew how it would end.

Yet she had snapped at her that day, because, damn it, she just needed to know. Needed to know if there was a chance. If there was anything at all. Because despite the fear, she couldn't ignore how she felt. Not anymore. But she guarded her heart still, didn't get her hopes up, and accused her of not wanting her here over asking the simple question, "Do you like me?". Because that was how she was. She had to protect herself from heartbreak because it hurt like hell, and she wasn't sure she could handle it again after a lifetime of it.

 _You wish I'd never come here._

 _What?_

 _You wanted me gone since that first evening we met._

 _Miss Swan, don't be ridiculous. I didn't want you…_

 _Don't lie to me._

She had stopped and just stared at her for a moment. And Emma thought that maybe she would argue with her. Respond furiously and with contempt hanging on her every word. But that Regina Mills wasn't there. She was soft-spoken, sounded somewhat upset that she would even think she hated her that much as to want her to leave and never come back.

 _I'm… I'm not lying to you. I'm thankful that you came to Storybrooke that night. And not just because you brought Henry back home to me._

She had paused, but that sentence remained unfinished. She didn't reveal the other reason. At least not on that day. But it wasn't like her next words didn't give it away. Which had made Emma's heart flutter inside her chest as she said them.

 _So don't you ever think I don't want you here._

Emma had simply nodded, too overwhelmed by her own feelings to say anything.

 _I'll see you around, Emma._

Regina had walked away immediately after that while Emma just stood there for a few moments more, letting that last sentence play around in her head, the way she said her name wreaking havoc with her heart. She rarely ever called her by her first name, and if she had, she'd never said it like it meant something. Like Emma meant something to her.

And that day, she knew. Regina had feelings for her.

Emma looked back to August. "You got all that from a brief exchange?"

"I've had great practice at understanding complex inner emotions."

"Right. The writer thing." She thought it over. "But still. Why help me? You barely know me."

He gave a small smile at this, but it disappeared quickly. "There are many reasons, but I'm not sure you're ready to hear it all yet. At least, not standing in the hallway of Granny's Bed and Breakfast."

She tilted her head to the side slightly.

"I will say this. No matter what happens in the future, don't let go of Regina. I know that not everyone will approve you of two being together. But if you are happy with her, that's all the matters."

He was referring to when the curse broke. Those thoughts had crossed her mind as well. Nearly everyone in this town, even her parents, saw Regina as a villain. It wouldn't be easy to convince all of them to give her a second chance. But she would fight for her. She nodded to August. "I told her how I felt."

"I figured you probably did."

She didn't know everything about him, and there were still things he had yet to share with her, but she was pretty sure he would tell her soon. After what he had explained to her so far, she felt more confident that she could trust him. She at least knew he would be on her and Regina's side after the curse was broken. "We both love each other."

August smiled. "I'm glad to hear, Emma."

She looked down at the book. "There's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"And what's that?"

"You took Henry's book, didn't you? The story of Pinocchio… You added it."

He nodded slowly.

She suddenly put two and two together. It had to be her that he had intended to see the story and the note. Maybe he hoped she would be more likely to believe then? It wasn't like Regina needed convincing that the curse was real. She had lived it, and unlike everyone else in Storybrooke, she remembered it all. "You were hoping I'd see it along with the note. You've been trying to get me to believe since coming here."

"And do you?"

"Yeah. But it's a lot and… I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all." She opened the book to the new story. "Why Pinocchio?"

"You haven't figured that out yet?"

Emma shook her head.

"Are you busy the rest of the day?"

"I don't have to be."

"Then let me," he said, pointing down at the page, "tell you my story." He went back into his room, grabbed his jacket and motorcycle helmet, and then walked outside into the hallway. Emma stepped back, and he closed the door behind him. "Let's go."

"Wait… You're not taking me back to the well, are you?" That trip had certainly surprised her. She had wanted to learn more about him, and she had walked herself into grabbing a drink with him, so she agreed to one date. He told her he knew a good watering hole, and he literally took her to a watering hole. Their drink… Well, it was water from the well. It was good water, though. Just like he had told her.

August laughed. "No. This story doesn't originate at the well, nor does it originate in Storybrooke."

"Any hints as to where this story does originate?"

"Well, if I gave it away, it wouldn't make for a good story, now would it?" He stopped just before the stairs. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Emma shook her head as he turned away and walked down the stairs.

 _I should have known. The writer thing._

* * *

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Present_

Avery was determined to learn.

 _Don't know how to properly use it? I'll show you, Grandmother._

She spotted Mulan at a nearby table, and she walked over to her, sword in hand. Mulan noticed her as soon as she was in her line of sight, and she paused from taking a drink, the cup halfway to her mouth. Avery took a seat across from her and placed the sword in front of her. Mulan put her cup down in response and looked at her curiously.

"Teach me."

"You don't know how to sword fight?"

"I can throw it around, sure. But so can anyone. I want to know how to fight tactically. Be able to hold my own if I ever need to."

"Well, you've come to the right person." Mulan studied the sword for a moment before continuing. "Preparing for our trip?"

She could certainly use the skill during their trip, especially if any danger came their way as they rescued Princess Aurora. But after last night's encounter, she wasn't sure if she would be joining Mulan and Phillip. Not with her grandmother lurking around.

She didn't need Mulan to worry. She had been planning to resume her search for Aurora since the curse had been weakened, preparing with Phillip for the trip that lay ahead of them. They hadn't been successful with finding Aurora before the curse swept over the Enchanted Forest, but now they were sure they knew where she was. They didn't need to be delayed with yet another roadblock to rescuing her. They had already had to wait twenty eight years. Avery wasn't going to make them wait any longer. She knew too well what it was like to have to wait years to finally have a chance at finding someone again.

She could handle her grandmother by herself. She was the only one who would be able to stand up against her magic.

"Of course. Why else would I ask?"

Mulan immediately shot a disbelieving look her way.

"What?"

"That might be part of the reason, and I'll teach you nonetheless. But there's something else."

Avery tilted her head to the side slightly, but she knew she was caught. Mulan could always tell when something was bothering her.

"I know that look. You're hiding something. What happened?"

Avery glanced around her to make sure no one was paying attention to them and lowered her voice. "My grandmother."

Mulan's expression became serious and she lowered her voice as well. "What about her?"

"She's alive, Mulan."

"How is that possible? I thought your mother sent someone to…" She stopped herself at the sensitive topic. "You know."

Avery cringed at the thought. She had discovered that her mother had sent someone to kill her grandmother in Wonderland. She never figured out who it was before the curse, but she had assumed it had gone as planned. She didn't like that she had killed her own family, and that had been something that had bothered Avery a great deal after finding out Regina was her mother, especially in case of her grandfather's death. She may have had a lot of anger towards her grandmother, but she could never kill her. She would do anything else to stop her from whatever she was planning, but to take anyone else's life again, especially that of her own family, she couldn't do.

She shuddered as images from the dream she had last night flashed in her mind. If only the dream had been simply that.

"Sorry," Mulan said, mistaking her sudden tremble as something she had brought on.

"It's okay." _It's not like you killed people for selfish reasons. You are a noble warrior. I ruthlessly ripped people's hearts out and crushed them. And I did that as early as fifteen years old. That makes me worse than my mother._ "It's very likely the assassin was unsuccessful. Especially against someone like her. But what I think is more likely is that she faked her own death. To fool all of us. And that way, years later, no one would ever expect her to strike back."

"Did you see that in a vision?"

She shook her head. The future hadn't treated her to that message unfortunately. "No. She found me. I couldn't sleep last night, so I decided to take a walk and that's when our paths crossed."

Mulan looked at her in concern. "She… She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"No. She may have given me away as a baby and had nothing to do with me since, but we're still family. I don't think she'd ever harm me. But use me for her own benefit? That she would do. She wants me to help her get back to my mother."

"And you didn't accept."

"How could I? After everything she's done, I can't trust her. And no matter what, I refuse to work with her." She nodded to the sword. "She isn't going to back down without a fight. And I have no idea what she has planned. That's why I want you to teach me. I need to be able to protect my people. Both with and without magic."

Mulan smiled. "Spoken like a true warrior."

She looked down as she felt her cheeks go red. She couldn't help it. Her smile… The way she'd said that… All of it was making her heart flutter inside her chest.

 _It is possible that she might…_

 _Avery, stop. You're just friends. That's all._

She blushed more at thinking about the growing feelings she was developing for the woman sitting across from her. She was thankful for the distraction when Mulan began to talk about taking action against her grandmother.

"We must tell everyone. We need to be prepared for a surprise attack at any given moment."

She nodded.

"Should we wait on our departure for Aurora?"

"No. You and Phillip must not delay your trip any longer. If I must, I will stay behind. Besides. It was never my quest to begin with."

Mulan frowned.

Her heart skipped a beat at her reaction.

 _She really wanted me to come along… She doesn't want to be separated from me if their trip takes longer than expected…_

She didn't have a choice. She had to stay back. She couldn't let the entire camp be slaughtered because she had left them all defenseless against her grandmother and whoever else may have been working with her. She wouldn't put it past her that she would carry out such a task, just to push her over the edge and have her succumb to helping her.

"What do you think she wants from your mother?"

"Not sure. But I need to figure it out quick. Somehow find my way to her before she does."

"It is at all possible to warn her? I mean, I know you're in one realm and she's in another, but maybe there's some way to get a message across to her?"

Avery thought for a moment. She hadn't considered attempting to communicate across realms, only because she knew that kind of magic was very limited and hard to yield nonetheless. She had read about many communication spells, but none of the ones she had come across would allow her to send a message from here to wherever her mother resided in the Land Without Magic.

She reached a hand up to her neck, and her fingertips touched the chain of her necklace.

Wait.

 _My necklace…_

 _The ring!_

She took off the necklace, examined the ring hanging off of it, and then looked up at Mulan. "There might just be." She held the necklace out to her. "When time was unfrozen here, this ring just showed up. I found it among my belongings. The minute I picked it up, I felt magic flow through me and I saw _them._ My mother and who I am very certain was my father. I think my father gave this ring to my mother. And because I have this, I might be able to communicate with her."

Mulan inspected the ring and then looked back at her. "How so?"

"There's a communication spell I read about, that if you have an object that ties you and the person you're trying to communicate with, you can talk to one another through dreams. It's not easy, though, and there's no guarantee the person you're trying to talk to will hear the message. It's also likely it won't work since we're in different realms. But if I can somehow save my mother from whatever my grandmother is planning, it's worth the shot."

"How soon can you try this out?"

She didn't need to make a potion in order to get the spell to work. The only two things she needed were the ring and her own magic.

Mulan would have to watch her as she slept. If her grandmother tried to strike that night, she would be the only person who could wake her out of her trance. Once she was encompassed in the dream world, it wouldn't be easy to connect back to the real world. At least not right away.

She didn't have any more time to waste, though. She had to get her message across as soon as possible, and she'd try as much as she could until it worked.

If it worked.

"Tonight," she finally answered.

"Then I shall help you prepare." Mulan stood up from her seat. "But first, I think we have a lesson to attend to?"

Avery put her necklace back on, picked up the sword, and got up herself. She smiled to her. "That we do."

They began to walk away together. After a few moments of silence passed between the two, Mulan nudged her shoulder. Avery turned to look at her.

"Ready to get your ass kicked?" she asked with a grin on her face.

"Oh, we'll see about that."

Avery was, after all, not one to back down from a challenge.

* * *

 _Next up… Snow learns about Regina's relationship with Daniel, but it will not be like how it was on the show… August takes Emma to the place where they came through from the Enchanted Forest… Avery attempts to contact her mother, but will she get through to Regina?_

 _Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought :)_


	5. A Promise

**A/N: So it's been a long time. The last time I updated anything was in 2016... I am so sorry about this. I never intended to leave this hanging for this long. I've been going through a lot life changes and lost inspiration for writing, and it's taken some time to come back to it again. But gosh I really love this story, I can't abandon it. I've worked out a lot of details and the direction I want to take it since I've last updated, so I hope you'll enjoy.**

 **Typically, I split each chapter into three parts: Regina's (past in the Enchanted Forest), Emma's or Regina's (present in Storybrooke), and Avery's (present in the Enchanted Forest). This is first of three parts for Chapter 5, this one focusing on Regina's past. I'm still working on Emma's and Avery's parts.**

* * *

 _Chapter Five, Part One - A Promise_

 _The Enchanted Forest ~ Many Years Ago_

Regina stepped in front of the mirror and stared miserably at her reflection. She didn't like what she saw. She hardly recognized herself. The fancy dress, the elaborate makeup, her long brunette hair pulled tightly on the top of her head in a ridiculous style she would never choose herself… It was all an act. A disguise that made her look more pretty, more desirable, while masking her true self, everything that made her _her_. This wasn't even for the wedding day and she felt so out of place. And to add more to the discomfort was the diamond ring resting on her finger, another piece to the act that didn't belong to her, that should have _never_ belonged to her. The only things that were real were the emotions shining in her eyes, the slight frown forming on her trembling lips, and the disheartened sigh that escaped her mouth. And even those would be gone soon, too, her reality of how she was feeling having to disappear during the day until she locked herself in her bedroom come nighttime.

The king was coming to spend part of the day with her. To get to know her better and talk about the wedding. The only thing getting her though this was knowing she would be out of here in a few days' time. She didn't want to delay her departure with Daniel too much longer after the proposal because she knew things were going to move fast with the king. Much too fast for her liking.

She turned away from the mirror and walked to her dresser. She cast a glance over her shoulder and then bent down, opening the bottom drawer. She reached her hand under one of the piles of clothes and pulled out a tiny box. She glanced behind her again and then opened the box. She smiled immediately. She pulled off the diamond ring and slipped on Daniel's ring in place of it. And just for a moment, everything felt right. Her eyes flickered closed, and she envisioned her and Daniel, the first day they met, the many happy moments they had spent together in between, and then three nights ago, when he had proposed to her.

She opened her eyes and looked towards the mirror. Despite the outfit, despite the makeup, despite her hair… Who she saw staring back at her was herself. Her smile, the way her eyes were glowing with happiness… That was Regina.

She looked back at her hand. Slowly, she slipped the ring off her finger and then brought it up to her lips. She whispered, "I love you, Daniel," and kissed the ring. She lowered her hand and placed his ring back in the small box. She pushed the box back under the clothes pile, closed the drawer, and stood up. She reluctantly slid the king's ring back on her finger and headed out of her bedroom.

She had gotten some time alone from her mother after spending the entire morning with her preparing her look for the king. She knew there was still some time before he arrived, and she decided to distract herself about the upcoming day by reading more about the lands outside her home. She had been reading as much as she could in the little amount of free time she had (her mother had her scheduled around the clock the last three days in preparing for her wedding to the king), and she hoped to find the perfect place where she and Daniel could reside without the threat of her mother finding them.

In her walk to the library, she met up with her father. She threw her arms out in front of her in exaggeration, and he laughed, understanding exactly her thoughts about the whole look.

"Maybe a bit too much," he said, stopping right in front of her.

"Only a bit?"

"Well, you know how your mother has a thing for presentation."

(Little did Regina know she would develop this same liking for presentation in the future and never let anyone besides her father see her in anything less elegant than the outfit she now wore. But presently, she remained dissatisfied with her appearance.)

"I feel like I'm already dressed for the wedding."

"Only a few more days of this," Henry said quietly and in a somewhat dejected tone.

Regina bit her lip at hearing the sadness in his voice. She put her arms around him, and they shared a quick embrace.

"Is Mother looking for my help?" she asked when they back away.

"No, but she has kept me plenty busy. It's quite alright, though."

Regina frowned, feeling bad for not being able to help him throughout the day while Mother was fussing about with her.

Henry took hold of her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Go enjoy the time you have before the king arrives."

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Daddy." She let go of his hands. "I'll be in the library."

He nodded, then left down the hallway, walking in the opposite direction than she had been. She continued to the library. When she got there, she kept the door slightly ajar, expecting to hear an announcement from her father or one of their servants that the king had arrived. She headed immediately to the bookcase that contained the book she was reading the previous night and pulled it off the shelf. She quickly glanced through the other shelves on the bookcase and the next few bookcases until another book caught her eye. She took it from its place.

" _Becoming Queen_ ," Regina read. "Huh. Mother would very much like that I read this." She opened the book and flipped through the pages. "Perhaps she read this already." She went to the table of contents and read the titles of the chapters. She was unable to keep the sarcasm out of her tone as she reflected on her current situation. "I don't see a chapter on setting your daughter up to marry a king who is three times your age."

She shook her head and then closed the book. She figured she would keep the book with her to fool her mother if she were the one to retrieve her. She walked over to the couch by the fireplace and sat down. She tossed _Becoming Queen_ on the table in front of her and opened her other book to the page she had left off on. She ended up losing herself so much in the words on the pages that she nearly threw the book up in the air in surprise when she heard a knock on the library door. She hurriedly closed the book and shoved it behind the pillow nearest to her, then stood up and turned around to see who had come to the door. She relaxed when she recognized the ten year old peering her head inside the library and smiled at her.

"Hello, Snow."

"Hi." She took a few, tentative steps inside the room. "You look really pretty."

"Thank you, Snow."

Regina noted how shy the girl was acting, as if she suddenly felt uncomfortable around her despite having saved her life nearly a week ago.

"Are you busy?"

"Not at all." Regina motioned to the couch she was standing in front of, and Snow came over to her. They both took a seat and then Snow turned to her.

"Father and I arrived a short while ago, but your mother wanted to talk to him first."

 _Of course she did. Because there's something she wants, and she wants to make sure she gets it in my marriage to the king._

Regina swallowed her disgust and listened as Snow continued.

"I thought while we waited for them to finish, I could spend some time with you."

"Sure thing, dear."

Snow smiled. She became timid once again and stayed quiet for a few moments before she spoke up. Regina wondered if something was bothering the girl, if perhaps something had happened on the way here. "I went riding again."

"Did you?"

She nodded. "I was nervous at the first, but then I remembered what you told me."

Regina smiled as she recalled the day.

"I had a lot of fun. It's really not so scary once you get the hang of it."

"Well, I'm glad to hear you enjoy it."

"I can't wait to go riding together again. We'll get to do that more often now, since we're going to be a family."

Regina was certain her face had paled at that. "Yeah," she said uneasily. She couldn't refrain from looking away immediately after. When she left, this little girl was going to be disappointed. Heartbroken. She had lost her mother and now had the chance to have a motherly figure back in her life again, only to lose that opportunity so soon after she had met her.

But she had to be there for her own child. Still, Snow shouldn't have had to suffer in all of this. She could only hope that someone else would fulfill that role for her, that there would be another person out there who could not only be a mother to her, but could also love both her and her father.

Snow noticed her unease after an awkward silence rose between the two. "Regina?"

She looked back at her.

"Can I ask you something?"

She didn't like the sound of where this was going, but she nodded anyway.

"Why did you say yes?"

She froze. What was she supposed to say? She had no answer that would make the girl happy, nor could she make up an acceptable one. Even if she could, she didn't want to lie to her. So she stayed silent, taking on Snow's shy nature from earlier.

But the girl pressed further, determined to know the truth. "Do you really love my father?" she asked gently.

As much as Regina didn't want to let her down, she had to be honest with her. The girl deserved it. She didn't look her way when she responded. "No."

She expected to hear Snow begin to cry. To see tears rolling down her cheeks when she quickly glanced to her side. Yet she didn't hear nor see anything that resembled her being extremely upset. She seemed to handle the news rather well, even as she asked her next question.

"Then why did you say yes?"

"I didn't. My mother did."

"Why would she do that?" Snow asked in surprise. "What about Daniel?" She brought a hand in front of her mouth after she said this, as if it would retract the question completely. She clearly hadn't meant for this to slip.

Regina stared at her, eyes wide. She didn't understand. How had she found out? How long had she known? She had only told her father. She knew he would have never broken his promise to her and told Snow. "What did you say?"

Snow slowly lowered her hand and said quietly, "Daniel."

"Snow… How do you know about Daniel and I?"

"When we were together that day… I saw the way you two looked at each other. It's the way my father and mother looked at each other."

She slowly nodded.

"I also saw him kiss you that day."

"You did?"

"I glanced over my shoulder as I was leaving and saw you two together… Sorry."

Regina shook her head. They should have been more careful. Not shown any signs of affection until she was well gone from the stables. That still didn't undermine the fact that Snow could read the love between them just by how they looked at one another. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Snow looked down at the ring she was wearing, then shook her head. "Regina. Don't marry my father. You should be with Daniel."

 _How is it that a ten year old who I only just met days ago is more understanding than my mother would ever be?_

"My father will understand."

Her eyes began to glisten. "But my mother won't," she said sadly.

Snow tilted her head to the side.

"She has always wanted this for me. Ever since I was a little girl, she has wanted me to marry a man like your father. That way I can become a queen. But I don't want that, Snow. Being queen means absolutely nothing to me. I just want to be happy."

"But surely your happiness is more important than becoming a queen?"

"Not to her."

She frowned, and tears formed in her own eyes at this confession. "Are you going to say goodbye to Daniel?"

"I can't."

She brightened up at this.

Regina knew she wasn't going to be able to stop at that. She figured she might as well explain the rest, rather than having Snow ask her more questions about it. "I'm running away with him."

This time, she detected disappointment in the girl's tone. "Oh."

"I'm sorry, Snow. I can't be separated from him. I would be heartbroken if I were not to be with him. And running away is the only way for us to be together."

She nodded.

Feeling bad for making her upset, Regina took hold of her hands and offered some comforting words. "I am really sorry about your mother, Snow. And I'm sorry that I couldn't be that to you. But just remember this. Your mother may not be here with you in this world physically anymore, but her memory will stay alive in your heart. Always hold on to that."

Snow gave her a small smile and then pulled her into a hug. She could hear the girl weep a little at the memory of losing her mother, and she tightened the embrace at that. That same motherly instinct that had resonated with her when she saved Snow from the wild steed came back to her in this moment. _This could be my child grieving._

"You will make a great mother one day, Regina," Snow said when she backed away.

Regina beamed at her. "Thank you, Snow. That really means a lot to me."

She nodded in return.

Regina may not be able to be a part of Snow's life once she left, but there was a message she could impart on her. It was the message Daniel had told her, one that she most certainly believed in. "There's one more thing I want to tell you."

She looked at her attentively.

"When you find love one day, don't let anyone stand in your way of it. Because love… _True_ love… Is _magic_. And not just any magic. The most powerful magic of all. It creates _happiness_."

She smiled.

Regina glanced towards the doorway. Before anyone came to get them, she had to make sure Snow understood the repercussions of knowing about her running away with Daniel. She had to stay silent about it. She could never speak a word of this to anyone. She knew that was a lot of responsibility to ask of a ten year old, but she had to hope she would keep the promise.

Snow hadn't said anything to her father after the proposal, even though she had suspected something between her and Daniel. She had only admitted anything in front of her, and that was most likely because she knew Regina would be unhappy if she went through with the marriage. If she truly wanted her to be happy, then surely she would keep this a secret for her?

"Now, I need you to promise me that what we discussed today, you cannot tell to anyone. Not even your father. In a few days' time, I will leave with Daniel. And everyone will be wondering where I have gone. But even then, you can't say anything. You have to pretend like you don't know what happened to me. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Snow didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes," she said confidently, holding out her pinky to her.

Regina grinned at the gesture. She knew what to do next. She wrapped her pinky around hers.

"I promise."

"Thank you, Snow."

She nodded and then let go of her finger. Regina felt more reassured, hearing her make the promise aloud, but that didn't keep her apprehension completely at bay. Even though Snow had the intention to keep her running away with Daniel a secret, there was still the possibility she would reveal the news to someone by accident like she had done that day with her. She just hoped that if this did happen, her and Daniel would be far enough away from the kingdom.

Only time would tell. But whatever happened, she wouldn't forget that Snow had helped her and wanted her to be with Daniel.

"Are you reading that?"

Regina looked in the direction of Snow's gaze and saw she had noticed _Becoming Queen_ lying on the table in front of them. She laughed. "No. That was only to fool my mother had she come to get me. Actually…" She pulled out the book she had hidden behind her pillow and then handed it to Snow. "I was reading this. I'm looking for a place Daniel and I can call home. I imagine we will be traveling for a bit before we settle down."

Snow opened the book and briefly flipped through the pages. After a moment, she looked back up at her. "It doesn't matter where you go. As long as you're with Daniel, then you're already home."

Regina smiled at her words. She was right. Home was so much more than just some physical place. It was family. And whenever she was with Daniel, she always felt like she was at home.

For only being ten years old, Snow seemed to understand so much about family and love. She hoped she held on to that as she got older.

"I'm going to miss you, Regina," the girl said suddenly, closing the book. Regina noticed her eyes glisten slightly, and she couldn't help herself from tearing up a bit in response. "But I'm glad that you and Daniel can be together."

She may have only known Snow for a little over a week, but that didn't diminish the impact the girl had made on her. Despite the doubts she had been having, Snow had shown her that she could make a good mother in the future. She was glad that Snow had come into her and Daniel's lives when she had—she only wished it hadn't been in such a violet and terrifying way on her end.

"I'll miss you, too, Snow. Perhaps we'll meet again one day. And maybe then, you'll have found your own true love."

Snow smiled.

Regina wouldn't be missing her for too long. By the time she did reconnect with Snow, she would see her in a different light. She would no longer be remembered for how she had helped give Regina more confidence in her ability to be a parent, but instead remembered for how she had caused Daniel's death. And while it would be years before she found true love of her own, Regina wouldn't forget how Snow had played a role in taking hers.

She would certainly never make any promises to Snow to help keep her and her charming prince together.

* * *

 **Emma's part should be up in a week. If it's not, bug me about it :)**

 **Let me know how you liked the twist on the original storyline from the show with Snow knowing about Regina and Daniel!**


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